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 12:28 PM IST
Touched by gesture of Treasury Benches to stand through Question Hour: Dhankhar
Ten minutes into the Question Hour, Dhankhar said he is greatly touched by the gesture of the Treasury Benches to offer to stand through the Question Hour and asks them to take their seats. Dhankhar said he does not represent an individual but is the custodian of an institution and is accountable to it. He has to protect the institution against any affront or insult to the post he holds.
- 20 Dec 2023 12:21 PM IST
Oppn insulted Dhankhar because of his caste identity: Pralhad Joshi
In a statement in Rajya Sabha, condemning the "insult" to Vice President and Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, Union Parliamentary Affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Opposition leaders have a history of insulting people holding Constitutional posts and they have been insulting the prime minister, an OBC, for the past 20 years.
Joshi took cue from Dhankhar's earlier comments and alleged that the Opposition insulted the chairman because of his caste identity of a Jat and because he belongs to a farming family (kisanputra).
The minister said as a mark of solidarity with the chairman and in protest against the insult hurled at him by Rahul, the Treasury Benches have decided they will stand throughout the Question Hour.
Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress MP Digvijaya Singh and several other Opposition leaders objected to the remarks.
The Chair refused to let Opposition leaders speak.
Opposition MPs, however, continued their protests.
- 20 Dec 2023 12:04 PM IST
TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee strikes a defiant pose on the mimicry incident
TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee says Opposition MPs were conducting a mock Parliament and he had not mentioned the name of either the Lok Sabha Speaker or the Rajya Sabha Chairman.
"If he (Jagdeep Dhankhar) has taken it on his shoulders, I am helpless... I did not take any names. Does he really behave like this?" he asked.
Banerjee said he has respect for Dhankhar as "we both are from the same profession. He is a senior advocate and I am also a senior advocate; he is our ex-governor (of Bengal) and is now VP and Chairman".
The Trinamool MP also asserted that mimicry is an "art" and "it has also been done by the PM in the Lok Sabha itself... but everyone took it as being ok... if people take it (Banerjee's mimicry of Dhankhar) seriously, then I am helpless".
- 20 Dec 2023 11:51 AM IST
My parliamentary party will reply: Mamata on mimicry row
#WATCH | Union Minister Arjun Munda says, "The behaviour that the opposition party members displayed in the House is unacceptable. It is completely wrong to mimic..." pic.twitter.com/0Kjd1g6k2e
— ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2023 - 20 Dec 2023 11:51 AM IST
#WATCH | Union Minister Arjun Munda says, "The behaviour that the opposition party members displayed in the House is unacceptable. It is completely wrong to mimic..." pic.twitter.com/0Kjd1g6k2e
— ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2023 - 20 Dec 2023 11:50 AM IST
RS proceedings adjourned twice amid opposition protest
Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 11:30 am on Wednesday amid protests by opposition members over the Parliament security breach issue.
As the House met again at 11:15 am, the protests by opposition members continued.
Earlier when the House met, some opposition members had raised the issue of security breach and demanded a statement from the home minister on the matter.
Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar asked the protesting members to maintain order in the House.
As the protests continued, he adjourned the proceedings.
- 20 Dec 2023 11:31 AM IST
Disgrace, blot on democracy: Tharoor on suspension of MPs
#WATCH | On suspension of 141 opposition MPs, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, "This is a disgrace and a blot on our democracy..." pic.twitter.com/6iF4QYgjNG
— ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2023 - 20 Dec 2023 11:29 AM IST
Floor leaders of INDIA parties to meet today
Floor leaders of INDIA parties to meet today afternoon at Congress president Maillikarjun Kharge's residence in Delhi.
