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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- 20 Dec 2023 2:15 PM IST
You wouldn't know about it had Rahul not recorded it: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday played down the issue of Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar’s mimicry by her party’s MP, saying it was not meant to be disrespectful.
Asked about the mimicry row, Mamata Banerjee said, “We respect everyone. It was not disrespectful. It was just politically, casually... You would not even have known it if Rahul ji had not recorded it.”
The West Bengal chief minister was in the Parliament complex on Wednesday to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi over pending central funds for the state.
In the eye of the storm over the mimicry row, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee also said that he never had any intention to hurt or disrespect Dhankhar.
Kalyan Banerjee said that he did not intend to hurt anyone but did not offer any apology for the mimicry act which has been described by Dhankhar as an insult to the post of vice-president, the farmers and his own community.
“Mimicry is not an offence, they (BJP) are trying to change the main issue which is whether suspension of opposition MPs was right,” the TMC MP said and claimed that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done it in the past.
“Did not have any intention at all to hurt anyone, including the Vice President. Have respect for constitutional positions,” he said on Wednesday.
Kalyan Banerjee said that he might have some differences with Dhankhar over a few issues but he meant no disrespect for him. He noted that Dhankhar had been a governor of his home state West Bengal and like him a lawyer. (PTI) - 20 Dec 2023 1:31 PM IST
Dismayed at Vice-President's humiliation: President Murmu
President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said she was dismayed at the manner in which Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar was “humiliated” in Parliament complex. Elected representatives, she said, were free to express themselves but it should be within the norms of dignity and courtesy.
“I was dismayed to see the manner in which our respected Vice-President was humiliated in the Parliament complex. Elected representatives must be free to express themselves, but their expression should be within the norms of dignity and courtesy. That has been the Parliamentary tradition we are proud of, and the People of India expect them to uphold it,” Murmu said in a post on X.
Responding to the President’s post, the Rajya Sabha chairperson said he is committed to upholding Constitutional principles till his last breath and insults cannot prevent him from doing so.
The Vice-President thanked Murmu for her kind words and the timely reminder that basic courtesies must always remain.
“I am committed to upholding Constitutional principles till my last breath. No insults can prevent me from doing so,” Dhankhar posted on X.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Vice-President Dhankhar and expressed great pain over the “abject theatrics” of some MPs in Parliament complex. (PTI)
