New Delhi: Winter Session of Parliament, which began on Monday, is all set to be a contentious affair with several Opposition parties deciding to oppose the Insurance Bill and corner the government on black money issue.
The Winter Session will continue till Dec 23 and will have 22 sittings.
Here are the live updates:
- Both Houses of Parliament adjourned for the day as a mark of respect for MPs who died including Congress' Murli Deora
- Rajya Sabha condoles death of sitting member and Congress leader Murli Deora
- Late Gopinath Munde's daughter Pritam Munde takes oath as Lok Sabha member.
- New MPs, ministers take oath
- PM introduces newly inducted ministers in Lok Sabha
- Will make our stand on Insurance Bill clear in Parliament’s select committee: BSP chief Mayawati.
- KC Tyagi can speak for his party but not for ours: Mayawati, BSP
- Select committee hasn't taken a decision on Insurance Bill yet, if our suggestions are accepted why would we oppose it?: Mayawati, BSP
- Proceedings begin in Lok Sabha
- Last session was very productive, I'm hopeful that the winter session will also be productive: PM
Also Read: Hope Winter session is fruitful: Modi
- All MPs in Parliament have to take the nation forward: PM
- People have given us the huge responsibility of running the country: PM
- The Winter Session of the Parliament is starting today, good work for the nation will happen in a cool state of mind:
- PM Narendra Modi reaches Parliament
Also Read: PM Modi calls all party meet ahead of Parliament's Winter Session
To ensure smooth running of the Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called an all party meeting on Sunday where he assured that his government will continue to talk to the Opposition and other parties during the entire session. He expressed confidence that the Winter Session of Parliament will be as productive as the Budget Session.Modi also referred to his Independence Day speech in which he had sought to give credit for work done during the budget session to both the government and the Opposition. "Unitedly, all important issues can be taken forward," he said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said on Sunday that the Government is more willing to work on the suggestions of the Opposition parties. Calling the meeting fruitful and meaningful, he informed that in both the houses of the Parliament, 26 political parties, 40 leaders were present in the meeting.
He further said, except the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) almost all political parties were present. He also assured that the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) issue is an important matter and will be addressed.
Adding to it he said that pros and cons of all aspects of Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) issue will be reviewed. Moreover, reacting to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's allegations, Naidu said, "I request Mamata Banerjee to please understand that the Government has no role in the functioning of CBI."
Left parties, Trinamool Congress, JD(U), RJD, Samajwadi Party and BSP have decided to make a common cause against the insurance bill and asked the Congress to support them for the "larger Opposition unity". Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, was ambivalent on support to the Opposition move against the insurance bill, saying the party would first see what amendments the government brings.
The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance and Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, Food Minister and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan, JD (U) leader KC Tyagi, NCP leader Tariq Anwar, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, DMK leader Kanimozhi, CPI leader D Raja, INLD leader Dushyant Chautala, amongst others.
After the meeting, JD(U) general secretary KC Tyagi alleged "betrayal" by the government on its key promises made in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls including on return of black money stashed abroad in foreign banks and payment of 50 per cent bonus to farmers on the production cost of their crops.
Estranged NDA ally Shiv Sena raised the comfort level of the government with its leader Sanjay Raut declaring that the party would support the government at the Centre and the political developments in Maharashtra will have no bearing on their relationship in Centre.
Also Read: Shiv Sena to support Modi govt's agenda in Parliament's Winter Session
Naidu gave details of 37 bills on the government's agenda including the bills for introduction and those for consideration and passage. The bills relate to a series of issues including promotion of investments, improving ease of doing business, cooperatives, strengthening of regional rural banks, higher education, imposing stiffer penalties on hijackers, replacing coal ordinance and promoting ethical practices in bio-medical and health research on humans.
Urging members to cooperate in the passage of the bills, Naidu said Parliament needs to send out "a right message through appropriate legislations" in the context of "enhanced global interest in economic development of the country". He said that the prime minister has always desired that Parliament functions in a bipartisan spirit to enhance the public perception about parliamentary institutions.
