Page 15 - Lok Sabha

Cong MP Tagore urges Om Birla to ease journalist restrictions in Parliament

Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Sunday said he has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging him to lift Covid restrictions on journalists covering Parliament. In a post on 'X', he shared a copy of his letter written to the Birla on June 27. Wrote to Hon @loksabhaspeaker to lift Covid restrictions on journalists covering Parliament. Established journalists are being restricted in the name of curbs. It's time to restore media access and give them their rightful place," Tagore said in the post. In the letter to Birla, he said that several journalists, many of whom have been covering Parliament for over a decade, are facing restrictions in the name of COVID-19 protocols. "Preventing them from accessing the Parliament not only hampers their professional duties but also restricts the flow of accurate information to the public. In the interest of preserving the democratic ethos of our nation, it is imperative that all accredited reporters be allowed to cover the proceedings without an

Birla's comments on Emergency not apt, not suitable for LS Speaker: Pawar

NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Saturday said the reference to Emergency made by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in his speech was not apt and did not suit the stature of his post. Addressing reporters here, Pawar also said the sops announced in the budget presented by his estranged nephew and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday, was just an effort ahead of the state assembly polls to project that they are doing something massive. Soon after his election as Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla on Wednesday set off a firestorm by reading out a resolution condemning the imposition of Emergency as an attack on the Constitution by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi. Referring to it, Pawar said, "The speaker's reference to the Emergency in his address did not suit the stature of the post. It has been 50 years since the Emergency, Indira Gandhi is no longer alive. So why is the speaker bringing up this issue now?" "Is it the role of the speaker to make a political statement? .

Lok Sabha adjourned amid Opposition MPs protest over NEET paper leak issue

Dhankhar bemoans Kharge entering Rajya Sabha Well

Lok Sabha adjourned for day amid Oppn uproar over NEET; MPs storm the well

Speaker Om Birla and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told opposition members that they can discuss the matter during the course of the Motion of Thanks on the President's address

Amartya Sen's remark on 'Hindu Rashtra' has no relation with reality: BJP

The BJP on Thursday disapproved of Nobel laureate Amartya Sen's assertion that the Lok Sabha poll results showed India is not a Hindu Rashtra', asserting it had no connection with the actual picture on the ground. The saffron party said the eminent economist should see things from a neutral point of view. "Even if the NDA government does the best work in the world, Mr Amartya Sen will not appreciate that. He should have judged the situation in the country before the party came to power, and the current situation after all these years," senior BJP leader and its former West Bengal president Rahul Sinha told PTI. Sinha also accused Sen of being biased towards the ruling Trinamool Congress in the state. "He is making such remarks to please Mamata Banerjee (CM). I wish he could see things from a neutral point of view... People of India have voted for the BJP for their efforts to cleanse the system, making it corruption-free and taking the economy to greater heights. Sen's comments are

Looking ahead

President points to the Budget for explicit policy agenda

Amid desk thumping, PM Modi introduces council of ministers in Rajya Sabha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday introduced his council of ministers in Rajya Sabha, amid clapping and thumping of desks. The prime minister had introduced his council of ministers in Lok Sabha on Wednesday after the election of the Speaker. "I have great pleasure to introduce Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, who has been sworn in as the Prime Minister for the third consecutive term after a gap of six decades," Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar announced amid thumping of desks and applause. He then asked the the prime minister for the introduction of the ministers. Leader of the House J P Nadda, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi were among those present in the House. Thursday was the first day of the 264th session of Rajya Sabha. The House met after President Droupadi Murmu addressed a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament. The President's address was also tabled in Rajya Sabha. The House will pass

Travesty of traditions: Congress slams Speaker Birla's 'Emergency' remark

Congress leader K C Venugopal has written a letter to Om Birla condemning his remarks on the 1975 Emergency following Birla's re-election as Lok Sabha Speaker

'Reference to Emergency could have been avoided': Rahul to LS Speaker

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met Speaker Om Birla on Thursday and voiced his displeasure over the reference to Emergency made by the chair, saying it was "clearly political" and could have been avoided. It was a courtesy call during which Gandhi also raised the issue of Emergency being invoked by the Speaker in the House, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal told reporters after the meeting in Parliament House. "It was a courtesy call. The Speaker declared Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of Opposition and after that he along with other INDIA alliance partner leaders met the Speaker," he said. Asked whether Gandhi discussed the issue of Emergency being raised in the House, Venugopal said, "We discussed so many things about Parliament functioning. Of course, this issue also came up." "Rahul ji, as Leader of Opposition, informed the Speaker about this issue, and said it could have been avoided from the Speaker's reference. That is clearly a political reference, it cou

Govt committed to fair investigation in paper leaks, says President Murmu

The government is fully committed to a fair investigation in the recent incidents of paper leaks and ensure that the guilty are punished, President Droupadi Murmu said on Thursday, asserting there is a need to rise above party politics and undertake concrete measures nationwide. In her address to the joint sitting of Parliament, Murmu said the government is working towards major reforms in all aspects of exam process and the functioning of examination-related bodies. Addressing the 18th Lok Sabha for the first time, the president said the examination process requires complete transparency and probity, whether it is competitive examinations or government recruitment tests. As she mentioned steps taken by the government on the education front, some opposition members were heard shouting "NEET", the medical entrance exam whose question paper was allegedly leaked according to an investigation by the Bihar Police. "Whether it is competitive examinations or government recruitment, there

Rahul Gandhi shares the stage with PM Modi after years in his shadow

As head of the opposition, Rahul Gandhi has sturdier footing to negotiate with PM Modi. He'll be afforded powers including the ability to freely meet visiting heads-of-state

18th Lok Sabha: Om Birla elected as Speaker for second straight term

LOP Rahul reminds him of his duty to honour Constitution and allow Oppn to raise people's voice

Will protect Constitution, hold NDA govt accountable: LS LoP Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi won from both Raebareli and Wayanad Lok Sabha constituencies in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls

Speaker Om Birla recognises Rahul Gandhi as Leader of Oppn in Lok Sabha

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla recognised Rahul Gandhi as the leader of opposition on Wednesday, a day after the Congress communicated its decision to name him for the position to the Lok Sabha Secretariat. In a notification issued on Wednesday, the Lok Sabha Secretariat said Gandhi, leader of the Indian National Congress, had officially been recognised as the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha with effect from June 9. The Congress MP from Rai Bareli in Uttar Pradesh has been recognised as the leader of opposition under Section 2 of the Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977. Gandhi, who earlier in the day joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju in escorting the newly-elected Birla to the speaker's chair, thanked Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for his appointment to the role. "I thank Congress president @kharge ji, and all the Congress leaders and 'babbar sher' karyakartas from across the country for

Owaisi's 'Jai Palestine' slogan: India's Israel-Palestine policy explained

AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday concluded his oath-taking in the Lok Sabha with 'Jai Palestine' slogan, drawing objections. A look at how India's Palestine policy has changed over the years

Suggested to CWC that Rahul should be Leader of Opposition in LS: K'taka CM

Congratulating Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for occupying the post of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said it was he who had suggested and moved a proposal at a recent Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, urging him to take up the role. The decision on Gandhi's appointment as the Leader of Opposition was announced soon after a meeting of the floor leaders of the INDIA bloc at Congress chief M Mallikarjun Kharge's residence last night. "At the (Congress) working committee meeting I had suggested and moved a proposal that Rahul Gandhi should accept the post of Leader of Opposition. To face the BJP government and (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi I had urged that you (Rahul Gandhi) should become the Leader of Opposition and so did the working committee and others. Rahul Gandhi accepting this responsibility is good in the interest of the country," Siddaramaiah said. While speaking to reporters here, he said: "I congratulate hi

Hope suspension of MPs will not be repeated in Lok Sabha: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday congratulated Om Birla on being elected the Lok Sabha speaker and said he hoped that actions like suspension of MPs would not be taken as they hurt the dignity of the House. Yadav said he also hoped that Birla would be impartial towards the opposition and give its leaders equal opportunity. "We believe you will move forward without discrimination and as the Speaker, you will give equal opportunity and respect to every party. Impartiality is a great responsibility of this great post. You sitting here are the chief justice of the court of democracy," Yadav said. "We expect that the voice of no public representative will be suppressed and actions like suspensions which hurt the dignity of the House will not be taken," he said.

NDA candidate Om Birla elected as Lok Sabha Speaker for second time

'Your sweet smile keeps the entire House happy,' Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, congratulating Om Birla on his appointment, passed through voice votes

Can Asaduddin Owaisi be disqualified from LS over 'Jai Palestine' slogan?

Asaduddin Owaisi, who secured his fifth term from the Hyderabad constituency, faces a potential disqualification for raising 'Jai Palestine' slogan while taking oath in the Lok Sabha

Appeal Congress to elect Lok Sabha Speaker unanimously: Kiren Rijiju

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday made a fresh appeal to the Congress for unanimous election of the Lok Sabha Speaker. The Congress has fielded eight-term Lok Sabha member Kodikunnil Suresh against BJP member Om Birla, who is the NDA nominee for the post. "It is better for all of us to elect the Speaker unanimously. I think we still have time and we will make one more appeal to the Congress party but if we are pushed into the election, we are prepared," Rijiju told reporters here. The election of the Lok Sabha Speaker is scheduled for Wednesday. "We all are colleagues in the House and we have to always work together. There is no doubt about that. When we make them (Opposition) an offer, we expect that the offer is accepted gracefully. That has not been done," the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said. Rijiju asserted that the ruling NDA has the numbers to elect its nominee as the Speaker. "It is my appeal to the Congress to give it a thought again and not to