LIVE | Day 2 in Parliament: Unanimously clear women reservation bill, PM tells Rajya Sabha
NCP's Sule urges PM Modi to bring Women's Reservation Bill
NCP leader Supriya Sule strongly defended the Congress after the BJP criticised it over the Women's Reservation Bill issue, saying the first woman prime minister and president were from the Congress and the legislation was also brought by it. But the bill could not be passed due to lack of numbers, she said.
In the Lok Sabha, Sule urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring the Women's Reservation Bill and assured that her party would support it.
"Most women MPs have been asking about the Women's Reservation Bill. Everyone sitting here has been concerned about it," she said.
Deve Gowda speaks in RS on Cauvery water dispute
Manmohan Singh, in a wheelchair, attends RS
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh attended Rajya Sabha proceedings in a wheelchair.
Singh, who was prime minister for 10 years between 2004 and 2014, was wheeled into the House just before it assembled.
The 90-year-old frail-looking Singh sat quietly for exactly an hour, listening to Leader of the House and Union Minister Piyush Goyal and Leader of the Opposition and Congress president M Mallikarjun Kharge speak on a discussion on 75 years of parliamentary journey.
Congress MPs, including former Union finance minister P Chidambaram, greeted Singh with folded hands as they passed by.
PM mentions oldest, youngest, longest serving MPs
Chowdhury: Fear in people's minds about one party dictatorship being imposed:
Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said there has been apprehensions in people's minds about the country being run through "one party dictatorship", attempts to destabilise opposition party-ruled states and the "selective" use of central agencies.
"There has been fear in people's minds about one party dictatorship being imposed. There is fear about attempts to destabilise opposition (party) ruled states and selective use of central agencies," he said in Rajya Sabha.
Observing that plurality is the essence of civilisation, Chowdhury said India is a nation of unending pluralism and the opinion of everyone should be respected.
"There is no inclusivity. You can see how many MPs here belong to the minority communities...We should give up our arrogance... Jindagi lambi nahi, badi honi chahiye (life should be big instead of long)," he said, quoting a popular dialogue of a yesteryear Bollywood hit.