Parliament session Highlights: Both Houses adjourned; to meet at new building tomorrow

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Monday requested the opposition parties to attend the Special Parliament Session beginning today.

He said the government has already clarified the agenda of the Special Parliament Session in the all-party meeting on Sunday.

"Their (Opposition) request for clarification (of agenda) has been made clear in the all-party meeting yesterday. We have already announced our agenda... I request them to attend the Parliament's journey of 75 years that will be discussed today as PM Modi has taken the oath to make India a developed country before 2047..."

The Special Session of the Parliament will be held from September 18 to 22. During the session, parliamentary proceedings will shift from the old to the adjacent new state-of-the-art building on September 19.

Before the commencement of the Special Session of Parliament PM Narendra Modi said, "Success of Moon Mission — Chandrayaan-3 has hoisted our Tiranga, Shiv Shakti Point has become a new centre of inspiration, Tiranga Point is filling us with pride. Across the world, when such an achievement is made, it is viewed by linking it to modernity, science and technology. When this capability comes before the world, several opportunities and possibilities knock at the doors of India." He also asked the Opposition parties to make use of this short session. “There will be enough time to cry foul.”

Aam Aadmi Party issues whip for all its MPs in the Rajya Sabha

“All members of the Aam Aadmi Party in the Rajya Sabha are hereby, informed that some very important issues will be taken up in the Rajya Sabha in the upcoming special session. In view of this, all members of the Aam Aadmi Party are requested to be positively present in the house from 11 AM onwards until the adjournment of the House from 18th September to 22nd September 2023 and support the stand of the party," the notice said.

The meeting of all the floor leaders of political parties in the Parliament was attended by various ministers including Union Minister Piyush Goyal, who is also Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and Union Minister V Muraleedharan and 51 leaders from 34 parties.

Union parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said there would be a photo session from 10.00 am to 10.45 am on September 19, 2023, followed by a function in the Central Hall starting at 11.00 am which will be graced by the Vice-President/Chairman, Rajya Sabha, the Prime Minister, Speaker, Lok Sabha, Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Leader of Largest Opposition Party in Lok Sabha and the Members of both the Houses of Parliament.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Sunday raised the issue of N Chandrababu Naidu's arrest by the Andhra Pradesh government at the all-party meeting here which led to a heated argument between the TDP and YSR Congress, sources said on Sunday.

According to the sources, Ram Mohan Naidu from TDP has demanded the intervention of the Central government in Chandrababu's arrest and protection of democracy in the state.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh immediately took up the issue and asked everyone to maintain the dignity of the all-party meeting.

The all-party meeting had begun in the Parliament Library building, ahead of the Special Session of Parliament which begins tomorrow.

Earlier on Wednesday, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that a meeting of the floor leaders of all parties has been called on September 17, a day before the five-day-long sitting Special Session is scheduled.

Congrss MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury termed the 5-day session in Parliament a ‘regular one’ and criticised the Centre for not allowing members to speak during Question Hour and Zero Hour.

The Congress MP, after the all-party meeting concluded in the national capital, said that the opposition parties do not understand the government's reason for convening an "off-season" Parliament session, beginning Monday.

"We used to think that the special session has been called to discuss some new issues, or some miracle is going to happen (Kuch Chamatkar Hone Wala Hai). Now it seems like it is like a regular session," the Congress leader said.

He said that this government is also depriving members, from both the Opposition and Treasury benches, of their opportunities to speak during Question Hour and Zero Hour.

Several opposition leaders on Sunday criticised the bill on the appointment and service conditions of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners at an all-party meeting as "anti-Constitution" and "anti-democratic", sources said.

Official sources said there is a rethink in the government on whether to take up the bill for discussion and passage in the five-day session, beginning Monday.

However, criticism, including from a few former CECs and ECs, of some of its provisions might have made the government to reconsider its decision.

"We are yet to take a final call," a source said when asked if the government will push for its passage during the session.

The bill seeks to replace the Chief Justice of India with a cabinet minister in the panel for selection of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners, in a move that will allow the government to have more control in the appointment of members of the poll panel.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday likely to begin the 5-day Parliament session with a speech, news agency ANI reported

Ahead of the five-day session of Parliament, the TMC at an all-party meet convened by the government on Sunday said a day should be set aside for discussing "people's issues".

Sources said the suggestion by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was supported by other opposition parties at the meeting, held a day ahead of the beginning of the session.

The TMC suggested that out of the three days for which government business is listed, one day can be dedicated to discussing "people's issues" such as unemployment and price rise, according to the sources.

The party also suggested discussions on the economy and outstanding payments to states, they said.

The TMC's suggestions were supported by other opposition parties, but there was no response from the government's side at the meeting, the sources said. (PTI)

Taking a jibe at the Congress over its national president Mallikarjun Kharge skipping Sunday's flag hoisting ceremony at the new Parliament, Union minister Smriti Irani accused the grand old party of ‘not being proud’ about the tricolour being hoisted at the new complex. Read more

Opposition parties on Tuesday gave a sharp reaction at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government over reports of Parliament staff sporting new uniforms as they move to the new Parliament building next week. The uniform will reportedly have lotus motif on it, which is the national flower of India as well as the symbol of the saffron party. Senior Congress leader Manickam Tagore questioned the rationale of only using lotus instead of the national bird, peacock, or the national animal, tiger, to be embossed on the uniform. Read more

The agenda for the special Parliament session has still not been announced, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O'Brien said on Thursday because the announcement bulletin has a ‘sinister line’ saying this is not the exhaustive list of business. "They will be up to dirty tricks, and they can add some business last minute," he alleged. Read more

The BJP has issued a three-line whip to all Lok Sabha members asking them to be positively present at Parliament on all five days of the Special Parliament session starting from September 18. Some very important business will be taken up for discussion and passing, the whip said. "All BJP members in Lok Sabha are hereby informed that some very important Legislative Business will be taken up for discussion and passing in the Lok Sabha from Monday, the 18th September to Friday, the 22nd September 2023. All members of BJP in Lok Sabha are therefore requested to be positively present in the House throughout on all the five days i.e. from Monday, the 18th September to Friday the 22nd September 2023 and support the Government's stand," the whip read. Read more

In a first since independence, the legislature of India is set to move to a new complex during the special Parliament session. In a show of paying respect to the legacy of the old building, ten women parliamentarian across political lines recount their experiences and memories in a bid to offer their tributes to the edifice that remained the epicentre of India's democratic journey, as they prepare to bid the structure farewell.

All ten parliamentarians share messages of nostalgia of their jouney through the hallowed halls of the old Parliament building in hand-written notes. Read more

Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar hoisted the national flag at the new Parliament building a day before the special session of the Parliament. After days of speculation over the agenda of the special session called by the government, a parliamentary bulletin said the two houses would discuss Parliament’s 75-year journey on the first day. The tentative list of business for the Parliament Session includes the bill on the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners to be taken up for consideration and passage.

Leaders of parties across the political spectrum pushed for the passage of the women’s reservation bill at the all-party meeting called by the Union government on Sunday, a day before Parliament meets for a five-day special session. Some of the opposition leaders present questioned the timing of the session and the listed agenda and demanded to know if the government had planned to advance the winter session by rescheduling the House sittings. Read more

1. The government has also provided a tentative list of legislative business to be taken up during the session, including a bill that seeks to exclude the Chief Justice of India (CJI) from the panel to appoint the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs).
2. Bills that will be taken up for consideration and passage include The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023, The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023, and The Post Office Bill, 2023, among others.
3.  Several parties have demanded reviving the women's reservation bill. Read more