New Delhi: The second half of the Budget Session of Parliament commenced today after a month-long recess, with both houses witnessing adjournment after protests by opposition members over the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and other issues. The Lok Sabha has been adjourned till tomorrow, while the upper House was first adjourned till 11.20 am, and after reassembly, it was again adjourned till 2 pm.
The government and the Opposition are likely to lock horns on a host of issues including the on-going investigation into a Rs 11,000 crore bank fraud case. The Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, which was approved by the Union government last week, is likely to be the centre of the discussion among other issues like triple talaq bill, which is pending in Rajya Sabha.
Congress will also talk about Karti Chidambaram’s arrest by the CBI in the INX Media alleged bribery case, which it has termed as “political vendetta”.
The Lok Sabha was on Monday adjourned for the day after unrelenting protests by the opposition Congress over the Rs 12,700 crore PNB scam, and demands by the TDP for a special package for Andhra Pradesh.
On the first day of the second leg of the Budget session, the House witnessed uproar as Congress, TDP, TRS as well as AIADMK members trooped into the Well.
Noisy protests disrupted Question Hour which led to Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourning the House till noon.
As the House reassembled, Congress members trooped into the Well with placards demanding a reply from the Prime Minister on diamantaire Nirav Modi’s whereabouts.
Trinamool Congress members, too, were seeking to raise the same matter.
Nirav Modi is the alleged kingpin of the Rs 12,700-crore fraud at Punjab National Bank. The fraud came to light last month after the country’s second-largest state-run lender PNB reported that it had detected fraud in award of LoUs to the designer diamond jewellery maker.
TDP members protested in the Well demanding special package for Andhra Pradesh while those from the TRS sought increase in reservation quota in Telangana.
Amid vociferous opposition protest, Mahajan said she had received the resignation letter of Neiphiu Rio from the Lok Sabha following the Nagaland Assembly election results.
“I have accepted his resignation with effect from February 22,” Mahajan said.
Three-time chief minister of Nagaland, Rio won unopposed in the recent assembly election in the state. He is likely to become the chief minister again.
Before the beginning of the proceedings of the House, BJP members were seen clapping when Prime Minister Narendra Modi walked into the House. With folded hands, Modi greeted the members as well as those in the Opposition benches.
As the BJP and its allies captured power in the three North Eastern states, many of the saffron party MPs were seen wearing Assamese ‘gamosa’.
Obituary references were made for four former members--Rudolph Rodrigues, Kamla Prasad Singh, Khagen Das and Kumari Farida Topno.
Updates:Soon after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan made obituary references, members from the Congress, TRS and other parties as well as from the TDP trooped into the Well raising various issues.
Telugu Desam Party MP N. Siva Prasad dressed as Lord Krishna during TDP protest demanding 'Special Category Status' to Andhra Pradesh. (Source: Express photo by Praveen Jain)
Lok Sabha has been adjourned till tomorrow after protests by opposition members over various issues.
Rajya Sabha also adjourned till 11.20 am after the protest by TDP over 'Special Category Status' to Andhra Pradesh. Lok Sabha also adjourned till 12 noon after protest by TDP over 'Special Category Status' to Andhra Pradesh.
The Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill 2017 and the Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill 2017 will be tabled in the Lok Sabha. And the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2017 and the State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill 2017 will be tabled in the Rajya Sabha.
O'Brien also claimed that the BJP had gone 'overboard' with its victory in Tripura. 'If their target is West Bengal our target is Red Fort. BJP did not win Tripura, the Left surrendered it,' he said, claiming that Prime Minister Modi will not deliver his address from the Red Fort in 2019.
TMC leader Derek O'Brien had said on Sunday that his party is for a debate and a discussion in Parliament, and would evolve a joint opposition strategy soon. "We will coordinate with other opposition parties to expose this BJP government that has not delivered on their promises. I don't want to name any particular issue as there are many. We have issues for everyday in Parliament," he said.
CPI leader D Raja had yesterday said the issue of PNB fraud will be taken up and the new bills that the government proposes to bring would also be discussed. "We will demand answers from the government on how the fraud happened.
The banking sector is in a deep crisis and its credibility is at stake," PTI quoted him as saying. The government has also listed some other bills for consideration and passage in both Houses.
In the Lok Sabha, it intends to bring 'The Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2017', ' The Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill, 2017' tomorrow, and 'The Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2017', on Tuesday.
In the Rajya Sabha, the government has listed 'The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017', and 'The State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill, 2017', for the first day of the session.
The passage of the OBC bill, that seeks to provide constitutional status for the OBC commission, is another issue high on the government agenda.
The session begins two days after the Northeast election results that saw the BJP securing a victory in Tripura. The first part of the budget session was held from January 29 to February 9.
