Parliament LIVE | Women MPs from BJP seek apology from TMC leader
Rijiju highlights how Dhankhar has protected dignity of the House and of democracy while the Opposition has been going all out to attack and malign the Chair
Lok Sabha on Wednesday (December 11) witnessed repeated adjournments as remarks by Kalyan Banerjee against Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia created an uproar which refused to die down despite apology tendered by the TMC member. Finally, the chair adjourned the House for the day.
Trouble arose when Banerjee was speaking during a discussion on the amendments to the Disaster Management Act. The TMC member alleged non-cooperation by the central government during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai countered it, saying it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who helped all the states and successfully handled the crisis by taking everyone along.
Rai also alleged that the West Bengal government tried to put hurdles in the transportation of Covid vaccines through its territory.
Scindia stood up and supported Rai, saying that India had emerged as a "Vishwa Bandhu" during the pandemic and helped all the needy countries across the world.
Following this, Banerjee attacked Scindia and made certain remarks against the minister which were expunged by Speaker Om Birla. The verbal spat between the treasury and opposition benches lead to adjournment.
When the House reconvened, Banerjee apologised for his remarks, but Scindia refused to accept. "Mr Kalyan Banerjee rose in this House and said sorry. But I will say that we all come to this House with the spirit of contribution to the nation's development...but we also come with a sense of self respect.
"Any individual in their lives will not stand compromising with their self respect. Attack us on our policies, on our views, but if you will get personal, certainly be prepared for the response," the Union minister said. "He has apologised...I do not accept his apology for the personal attack that he had made on me and on the women of India," he said.
Banerjee apologised again but protests from treasury benches continued. A Raja, who was presiding the House, said the two have settled the matter between themselves. Earlier in the afternoon, Rajya Sabha was also adjourned.
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- 11 Dec 2024 1:09 PM IST
Congress asks govt to allow Houses to function, not "run away" from Adani discussion
Amid continued disruptions in Parliament, the Congress on Wednesday asked the government to allow both the houses to function and not run away from a discussion on the Adani issue.
“Dear Modi Government, On behalf of the people of India, we humbly request you to not further sell our country, and allow the Parliament to run - don’t run away from discussion. Enough is enough!” AICC general secretary, organisation, KC Venugopal said in a post on X.
Parliament proceedings were washed out in the first week of the winter session starting November 25 due to protests by opposition members demanding discussion on issues like the indictment of industrialist Gautam Adani in a US court and Sambhal violence.
Since last week, the ruling BJP MPs have been raising the issue of alleged nexus between Soros and the Congress posing a threat to national security.
Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh said his colleague Gaurav Gogoi has written to the Lok Sabha Speaker to ensure that Parliament functions and hoped that proceedings in both houses would resume normally.
“My colleague Gaurav Gogoi, Deputy Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha, has written to the Speaker reiterating the INC's commitment to ensure Parliament functions smoothly. He has suggested a way forward to resume proceedings. But does the Modi Govt want both Houses to function,” he asked.
Ramesh also recalled the words of Vice President Sarvepally Radhakrishnan and hoped the present chairman of the Rajya Sabha follows his words.
“May 16th 1952. It was the very first day of the Rajya Sabha. The Vice President of India and the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, told the MPs: ‘I belong to no party and that means I belong to every party in the House’. That is the essence of cool impartiality.
“It was also said of Dr. Radhakrishnan that he ‘did not hesitate when the need arose to rebuke even the Prime Minister or expunge his remarks when they transgressed propriety...’. But those were different times!” the Congress leader also said.
- 11 Dec 2024 12:58 PM IST
Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 pm amid uproar
Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm on Wednesday amid a face-off between government and opposition benches over alleged linkages between the Congress leadership and US-billionaire George Soros-backed outfits.
After days of disruptions, the Lok Sabha took up the entire Question Hour which was followed by the Zero Hour with members raising issues related to their constituencies.
Trouble broke out in the House when Congress member Gaurav Gogoi raised the issue of violence in Manipur and accused the BJP of raising the Soros issue to hide their failures in the northeastern state.
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal hit back accusing the Congress leadership of having links with Soros-backed outfits that were allegedly working to destabilise India.
As the opposition and treasury benches traded charges, BJP member Sandhya Ray, who was in the chair, adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.
