Parliament LIVE | With 97 Oppn MPs out, LS passes 3 criminal code bills, telecom bill
The Lok Sabha, with 97 Opposition members suspended for “misconduct”, passed three crucial bills to replace the colonial-era criminal laws and the Telecommunications Bill on Wednesday (December 20).
The three redrafted criminal code bills — the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill — were introduced in the Lok Sabha by Union Home Minister Amit Shah last week.
These bills will replace the Indian Penal Code (1860), the Code of Criminal Procedure Act (1898), and the Indian Evidence Act (1872), respectively.
Earlier in the day, the Lower House suspended two more Opposition MPs for showing placards in the House even as the ruckus in the Parliament over the security breach issue and the mass suspension of MPs continued.
With Opposition lawmakers refusing to budge from their demands, Thomas Chazhikadan of the Kerala Congress (Mani) and AM Ariff of the CPI(M) were suspended for misconduct after a resolution moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi was adopted by the House.
This takes the number of suspended MPs in the Lok Sabha to 97. So far 143 opposition MPs have been suspended from the two Houses of Parliament.Amid this, the issue of Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee allegedly mimicking Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar took centre stage with the government condemning the act.
Banerjee, however, struck a defiant note on the incident, while maintaining that he had not named or mentioned either the Lok Sabha Speaker or the Rajya Sabha Chairman in his act and had utmost respect for Dhankhar.
Amid repeated adjournments in the Rajya Sabha, Opposition MPs staged a protest near the Gandhi statue against the suspension of their colleagues.
On Tuesday, 49 more Opposition lawmakers were suspended from Lok Sabha for unruly behaviour, taking the total number of MPs facing action in both Houses of Parliament to 141 and prompting the INDIA coalition to announce nationwide anti-government protests on Friday (December 22).
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Live Updates
- 20 Dec 2023 3:54 PM IST
150 MPs thrown out and no discussion in media: Rahul Gandhi
Amid the political row over TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee mimicking Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday that he shot the video of MPs sitting outside Parliament, which remains on his phone and asked why was there no discussion over MPs being “thrown out” of the House.
Asked about him making the video and claims that the Vice-President was insulted, he said, “Who insulted and how? MPs were sitting there; I took their video, which remains on my phone. The media continues to show it and is making remarks, Modi ji is making remarks, nobody has said anything.”
“Our 150 MPs have been thrown out and there is no discussion about that in the media... no discussion on Adani and on Rafale. France has said that investigation is not being allowed. There is no discussion on that, there is no discussion on unemployment. Our MPs are sad, sitting there, you are discussing that.”
He urged the media to show some news and stressed that it is their responsibility. (PTI)
- 20 Dec 2023 3:50 PM IST
Rahul Gandhi was recording mimicry 'like a monkey': BJP MP
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was recording “like a monkey” TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee’s act of mimicking Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, BJP leader Parvesh Sahib Singh said on Wednesday and demanded that the Opposition INDIA bloc apologise to the Vice-President.
“INDIA alliance is showing the level of its wisdom. It is not able to digest its defeat (in the recent Assembly polls). They also know that in 2024, the BJP will return to power at the Centre and Narendra Modi will be the prime minister. They are not able to digest all these things,” the BJP’s West Delhi MP told PTI at Parliament Complex when asked for comment.
“So, they displayed their frustration yesterday,” Singh said.
With Dhankhar’s mimicry, the members of the Opposition INDIA bloc showed that they can even make fun of a person who is sitting on such a high constitutional post, the BJP leader said.
“And their leader Rahul Gandhi was doing videography like a monkey. It was quite strange. We felt very sad,” Singh said, adding, “I want the entire INDIA alliance to apologise to the Vice-President.” (PTI)
- 20 Dec 2023 3:42 PM IST
Black stain on Indian democratic traditions: Rajnath
Rajnath Singh tweets: "The shameful manner in which the Vice President of India and Honourable Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar ji has been insulted by Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee and Congress leader Shri Rahul Gandhi is a black stain on Indian democratic traditions.
"The tradition of respecting persons holding the highest constitutional positions is the life force of democracy. But the low level at which parliamentary dignity is being devalued by turning partisan opposition into animosity is a matter of concern for the entire political class. I strongly condemn such indecent behaviour towards persons holding constitutional posts."
