As the deadline to withdraw nominations passes, political parties are increasing their campaign efforts in preparation for the upcoming elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. Meanwhile, in the Lok Sabha, MPs recently took their oaths with slogans such as "Jai Samvidhan" and "Jai Bhim" being shouted. Additionally, the importance of a non-partisan approach from the Speaker in ensuring smooth House functioning is being emphasized, with the home minister also criticizing the past regime's centralization of power under one person.
Leaders of India, including President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, paid tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his sixth death anniversary. Vajpayee, who passed away in 2018, was a renowned leader and a towering figure in Indian politics, who made history as the first non-Congress Prime Minister to complete a full term in office. His contributions and vision continue to be remembered and honored by the nation.
The Congress has written a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, asking him not to consider farmer leaders' media interaction after meeting with Rahul Gandhi in the Parliament complex last week as a violation of decorum. This comes after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "halwa" remark on the halwa ceremony. In her reply to the Budget discussion, Sitharaman also brought up past instances of non-parliamentarians, including women filmstars, interacting with the media on various occasions.
The Lok Sabha was stalled for over 30 minutes after a heated exchange between Congress member Charanjit Singh Channi and BJP's Ravneet Singh Bittu. The argument, which got personal, resulted in Chairman Sandhya Ray expunging remarks from both members. While Channi spoke about former Punjab CM Beant Singh's assassination, Bittu responded by saying his grandfather sacrificed his life for the country, not for the Congress. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh asked for a review of both speeches, stating that any statement that goes against Parliamentary traditions should be removed. Speaker Om Birla emphasized that no member, especially a minister, should insult or disgrace the House.
The ongoing debate on Budget 2024 in Lok Sabha turned heated when TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee clashed with Speaker Om Birla over the discussion on the three farm laws. The Trinamool MP accused the Centre of passing the bills without consulting farmers or Opposition parties, but the Speaker maintained that the House had a thorough discussion on the issue. The Budget, which was criticized by Banerjee for favoring BJP coalition partners, was defended by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as she dismissed the TMC's criticism.
During a heated Budget discussion in Lok Sabha, Speaker Om Birla and TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee exchanged sharp words over the previously passed agricultural laws. The MP from West Bengal claimed that no discussion took place on the issue, while the Speaker maintained that the issue was discussed for over five hours. Banerjee also criticized the Budget for lacking clarity and only serving the interests of BJP coalition partners.
The Central government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has declared June 25 as 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas' or 'Constitution Murder Day' to commemorate the 1975 Emergency and pay homage to those who suffered during it. The decision was also supported by President Droupadi Murmu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who condemned the imposition of the Emergency by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and called it a dark chapter in Indian history. On the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, the government aims to remind people of the atrocities and violation of civil liberties that occurred during this time.
The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha concluded on Tuesday with a resolution being passed to condemn the disruptions by Opposition members during PM Narendra Modi's speech on the Motion of Thanks debate. The session was highly productive with a record productivity of 104% and saw the passing of important resolutions. The Speaker also expressed gratitude towards BJP MP Bhatruhari Mahtab for smoothly conducting proceedings as the Pro-tem Speaker.
Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, spoke against the Modi government during his first speech of the session. However, parts of his speech were expunged from the records. This drew parallel to similar incidents in the past, where his and other Opposition leaders' remarks were removed. This has sparked a debate on the freedom of speech in Parliament and the role of the Speaker in controlling proceedings.
Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued to clash in the ongoing Parliament session, with Gandhi's fiery speech facing expunction from the records. He wrote to the Speaker requesting the restoration of his remarks, while Congress MP KC Venugopal alleged bias against BJP MP Anurag Thakur, whose speech was treated differently. In his reply to the Lok Sabha debate, Venugopal challenged the Prime Minister to investigate the electoral bond scam, calling it one of the biggest scandals in the country.