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

Amid speculation that the women's reservation bill may be tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, the Congress said it welcomes the reported move as the party has been raising the demand for long.

"We welcome the reported decision of the Union Cabinet and await the details of the Bill," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posted on X.

"This could have very well been discussed in the all-party meeting before the Special Session, and consensus could have been built instead of operating under a veil of secrecy," the Congress leader said.

He also shared a detailed post he made on Sunday to underline how the Congress has been supporting the move.

PTI

The Union Cabinet met here on Monday evening after the first sitting of the special session of Parliament, amid speculation that it may clear some important legislative proposals.

There was no word on what transpired in the meeting which lasted for over 90 minutes.

The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was attended by Union ministers including Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Piyush Goyal, Pralhad Joshi, S Jaishankar, Nirmala Sitharaman, Dharmendra Pradhan, Nitin Gadkari and Arjun Ram Meghwal.

Ever since it was announced that the Parliament session would be held from September 18-22, there has been speculation on various bills, including the women's reservation bill, that may come up during the session.

PTI

The Parliament House, which will soon hand over its position as the country's hallowed legislature to a new complex inaugurated four months ago, has stood for over 96 years as a sentinel of time and a repository of India's democratic journey.

Opened on January 18, 1927, by Lord Irwin -- the then viceroy -- amid fanfare, the landmark has witnessed colonial rule, the Second World War, the dawn of Independence, the adoption of the Constitution, and the passage of many legislations -- some landmark and many controversial.

The government on Wednesday listed a special discussion on the Parliament's 75-year journey, starting from the Samvidhan Sabha, on the first day of the five-day session beginning on September 18.

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Union Minister V Muraleedharan says, "Congress leaders didn't understand the seriousness of today's session. Today's program should have been beyond politics and parties. Today's session was to recall the memories, experiences, and achievements of the last 75 years. But the Congress party stooped so low and started political criticism against the government. While the Prime Minister acted as a true politician... I feel sad that the Congress Party, which has a history of 100 years, has such leadership in its hands that there are no politicians in the party but only political creatures."

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, PM Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to lead a function in Central Hall of Parliament on Tuesday to commemorate the country''s rich parliamentary legacy

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday sought 33 per cent reservation for women in both the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies on the lines of local bodies.

During his speech at the annual general meeting of the Pune District Central Cooperative Bank he stated, "The special session of Parliament commenced today, and during that session, we put forth a demand for a 33 percent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies, similar to the reservation already in place for women in local bodies. Our demand is rooted in the belief that women should have equal opportunities, not just to cast votes but also to participate actively in governance."

Pawar also highlighted that globally, women are being provided with equal opportunities, emphasizing that countries that have not offered these opportunities to women have lagged behind.

ANI

"Today, women are increasingly participating in electing governments as their voter turnout has been more than that of men, but they are not getting the required representation in government due to which there is not enough focus on their issues," says SAD MP Harsimrat Badal on women's reservation bill.

On Women's Reservation Bill, BJP MP Locket Chatterjee says, "It would be decided by the parliamentary committee but a bill had come for 33% reservation for women in Panchayat. This parliament and this government have done a lot for women... A lot of women MPs have participated in debates. Women have been given powerful ministries. This government respects women."

On the new Parliament building, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad says, "There are many memories as an MP, minister, the ruling party and as the opposition but still all of us are friends. Today when the proceedings ended, the ruling party and the opposition were taking pictures together to gather the memories of the last day. This is the democracy of India... I have seen Atal Bihari Vajpayee here, Lal Krishna Advani, and Manmohan Singh here. We were active in exposing the 2G scam and other scams, coal scams... I had the fortune of working in Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government... There are a lot of memories... This is a temple... We will enter the new temple with new enthusiasm to take India to a new level in the 'Amrit Kaal'... The opposition has to ask questions and the government has to answer, this is democracy..."

"We are going to the new Parliament with good memories and with lots of hope. We aim to further strengthen the progress of the country," says BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje.

MoS for State for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Shobha Karandlaje says, "This is an emotional moment. We are taking great memories with us to the new Parliament...I feel very good. This Parliament (old building) is associated with the Independence struggle..."

On the new parliament building, Union Minister Kumar Ashwini Choubey says, "A lot of topics have been discussed in the (old) parliament in past 9 years making it '9 saal, bemisaal'. Before that too, since the independence, for 75-76 years, the parliament has witnessed all types of moments... All of it is unforgettable. (Old) parliament will keep on inspiring us. We will enter the new parliament tomorrow. The journey will give us the energy to make democracy more powerful...We will move ahead together... Tomorrow is God Ganesh's day. Everything would be auspicious tomorrow..."

"The Parliamentary experience is something that is really appreciable and we all like this. But the only problem is that the relation between the opposition and the government is widening. So, I feel that needs to be resolved," says IUML Lok Sabha MP ET Mohammed Basheer.

"I have mixed experiences at this (old) Parliament House. It was historic how the Prime Minister shared his experience and recalled the previous governments in his speech today," says BJP Lok Sabha MP Ram Kripal Yadav.

"What happened today in this old Parliament building was sad. I was the last speaker today from the opposition. My party was given 18 minutes to speak. Then I was told, I would only get a chance to speak for 10 minutes and suddenly in the middle of my speech, unbelievably I was stopped, and the House was adjourned," says Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien. 

Lok Sabha adjourned till Tuesday as speaker Om Birla gave speech hoping new Parliament building, where the sessions will be held from Tuesday, will bring new hopes and see new discussions. 

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2:15pm on Tuesday. The session will be held on Tuesday in New Parliament building's Rajya Sabha house.

"Give me back my India — where slums do not have to be covered…where religious propoganda doesn't happen…where citizens don't die because of one man's announcement of demonetisation…when the environment was not sacrificed for corporate agenda," TMC MP Derek O'Brien.

"This is full of nostalgia. We have an emotional attachment to this (old Parliament) building but if good work takes place for the nation from the new building, then it will be fruitful for our country and our countrymen," says TMC Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.

Rajya Sabha MP & BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi says, "India is the mother of political democracy and also the foundation head of religious and spiritual democracy."

“Last day in the old Parliament, we should discuss and talk about better futuristic things instead some anti-national elements are trying to politicise discussions,” Leader of the House Piyush Goyal. 

Piyush Goyal says "Today is our last day in this Parliament, I hope we can raise the dignity of our Parliamentary discussions and put out a unified message today."

“The condition of the building of democracy was deteriorating for the past 20-25 years. In the last 75 years, there had been no efforts, but PM Modi built a new Parliament for the democratic process and we are privileged to have spent time in the old Parliament and now we are getting the opportunity to enter the new Parliament,” says BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri.

“It is good that he (PM Modi) named and praised Jawaharlal Nehru as his contributions can't ever be forgotten. I hope that BJP leaders would stop criticising Nehru,” says Congress leader Rajiv Shukla on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address in Lok Sabha.

"PM Modi talked about historic aspects of the old Parliament. All the schemes for empowering the poor, women and rural population were passed in Parliament. As far as agenda is concerned, we are very clear with it while the confusion persists in the opposition," says BJP MP Rajyavardhan Rathore.

BJP MP Tejaswi Surya said outside Parliament, "Today and tomorrow are historic for the country...Everybody has equal rights in the Parliament. This is the reflection of the true spirit of our democracy...From tomorrow this new journey will get more energy."