Parliament Winter Session highlights: Both houses adjourned till 11 am on Friday

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Parliament Winter Session live updates: Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday reacted to Home Minister Amit Shah's address in the Lok Sabha and accused the opposition of misleading the public and running campaigns built on "malicious propaganda." He said Amit Shah had comprehensively outlined the Congress's record "from its birth to the present time," alleging that the party "worked to suppress democracy" and had now resorted to baseless claims instead of constructive politics.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh on Thursday hit out at the government over SIR, questioning if the exercise is being carried out to clear the electoral roll or the voters.

“Your intention is to clear the voters. It is of vote chori, not to correct the electoral roll,” Sanjay Singh said in Rajya Sabha.

Parliament Winter Session live updates: Samajwadi Party leader Ruchi Vira on Thursday demanded a high court bench in Western Uttar Pradesh. “The lawyers in the state have been demanding that the western UP should have a separate bench in view of the size of state,” she said in Lok Sabha.

Parliament Winter Session live updates: Congress leader Ajay Makan on Thursday claimed that there is no level playing field in elections as the ruling party has 75 times more funds than the opposition.

“No level playing field in elections as ruling party has in its bank account 75 times more funds than the opposition,” Congress MP Ajay Makan said while speaking in Rajya Sabha.

Parliament Winter Session live updates: Two BJP members on Thursday raised concerns in Rajya Sabha regarding the pollution in the Yamuna river, which affects the Mathura-Vrindavan pilgrimage circuit, and the deteriorating condition of the Goa-Belgaum National Highway. Speaking during Zero Hour, Tejveer Singh from Uttar Pradesh acknowledged infrastructure improvements in Mathura and Vrindavan, but highlighted challenges, particularly Yamuna river pollution, faced by pilgrims and locals.

Parliament Winter Session live updates: While speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister JP Nadda said, "I am delighted that over the past two days, more than 80 of our MPs have delivered statements on Vande Mataram. This demonstrates how timely, contemporary, relevant, and deeply relatable this topic is to all of us. This debate, this discussion, brings to mind one more thing: as we discuss Vande Mataram, today's young generation, who did not witness the freedom struggle and have only read about it in the pages of history, will also gain profound insights through this discussion, which will inspire future generations. When we speak of Vande Mataram, we believe it is a mantra to awaken the nation's soul. We believe it is a renaissance of the nation, and we also believe it is a call to rebuild the nation. This mantra inspires us all, giving us the opportunity to connect with our culture and inspiring us to do the same."

Parliament Winter Session live updates: The government on Thursday told Parliament that although India ranks ninth on the Global Climate Risk Index, it "does not recognise any external ranking as a basis for domestic policy formulation".

The Global Climate Risk Index ranks countries based on the human and economic toll of extreme weather events.

Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said estimates of economic losses from extreme weather vary widely and that "isolating the climate component of total losses remains a challenge".

According to the Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2026 published by environment think tank Germanwatch at COP30 in Brazil's Belem, India ranked ninth globally among countries most impacted by climate disasters over the past three decades, with nearly 430 extreme weather events killing more than 80,000 people. (PTI)

Parliament Winter Session live updates: “I want to say that we should give ‘Vande Mataram’ the same place we give to the national anthem and the national flag and it should be added in the Constitution,” said JP Nadda.

Parliament Winter Session live updates: JP Nadda said in Rajya Sabha, “I want to read another statement which says: The sense of indifference and neglect shown towards Vande Mataram in the Constituent Assembly was entirely the responsibility of Shri Jawaharlal Nehru. He himself made this clear in a written reply that was given in the Assembly.”

“A member wrote a letter to India’s Home Minister Sardar Patel seeking to know from what was happening regarding India’s national anthem. The reply to the letter addressed to Sardar Patel was written by Nehru on 25 August 1948. In that reply, Nehru stated that he himself was responding because he was taking all decisions on this matter. Through this reply, the people of the country came to know for the first time that the Government of India’s Cabinet, led by Nehru, had already decided—outside the Constituent Assembly and on a temporary basis—to adopt Jana Gana Mana as India’s national anthem,” he added.

Parliament Winter Session live updates: BJP chief and MP JP Nadda, during debate on Vande Mataram, said in Parliament, “During the Lucknow Session on August 15, 1937, Mohammad Ali Jinnah passed a fatwa against Vande Mataram. Instead of contesting it, Jawaharlal Nehru initiated an investigation into Vande Mataram. On October 20, Nehru wrote a letter to Subhash Chandra Bose and confessed that the background of Vande Mataram in the novel 'Anand Math' might irritate Muslims.”

Parliament Winter Session live updates: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge intervened BJP MP JP Nadda's speech in the Rajya Sabha and asked whether the debate is being held on the topic of Vande Mataram or Jawaharlal Nehru.

Parliament Winter Session live updates: BJP MP JP Nadda, while speaking on the national song Vande Mataram in Rajya Sabha, said “In 1936–37, Nehru was the president of the National Congress. In 1937, under Jawaharlal Nehru’s presidency, and under pressure from communal elements, the sacred song was altered by discarding the stanzas that portrayed Bharat Mata as Maa Durga holding weapons.”

Parliament Winter Session live updates: The upper house witnessed chaos as BJP MP JP Nadda took the floor in Rajya Sabha.

Parliament Winter Session live updates: The Lok Sabha on Thursday extended the tenure of the parliamentary committee examining bills that seek to introduce simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.

Committee Chairman P P Chaudhary moved the motion seeking extension of the tenure of the Joint Committee on the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, up to the first day of the last week of the 2026 Budget session.

The Lok Sabha adopted the motion by a voice vote.

The committee has met constitutional experts, economists, Law Commission Chairman Dinesh Maheshwari, among others, since it was constituted last December. (PTI)

Parliament Winter Session live updates: Members of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board meet Union Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju in his chambers. AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi and Azad Samaj Party (Kanshiram) MP Chandrashekhar Azad are also present.

Parliament Winter Session live updates: West Bengal BJP President & MP, Samik Bhattacharya told news agency ANI, "...There is only one state in India that has an open border spanning 400 kilometres, and illegal migration is a regular feature there. Therefore, the situation in West Bengal, compared to other states, is different. A silent demographic invasion is happening there. This is an international conspiracy to make West Bengal into West Bengladesh. Bengal is a state where Rohingyas are being invited, where the ruling party leaders openly say that no Bangladeshi's name should be left from the voter list... Due to this, the demographic balance of Bihar and Jharkhand is also disturbed... With SIR, there will be purification of many things there..."

Parliament Winter Session live updates: On Union Home Minister Amit Shah's speech in the Parliament, BJP MP Kiran Chaudhary says, "... Ensuring the safety of our country is in our best interest. The security of the country will be ensured only when we throw out those people who have no connection with our country."

Parliament Winter Session live updates: Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Thursday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) over the ongoing debate on 'Vande Mataram' in the Lok Sabha, stating that PM Modi and his clan hasn't even read two of the most famous books written on the true spirit of the national song and national anthem.

The books are 'Song of India: A Study of National Anthem' by Rudrangshu Mukherjee and 'Vande Mataram: The Biography of a Song' by Sabyasachi Bhattacharya.

Taking it to X, Jairam Ramesh said that the books have been written by two of the finest historians. He further took a jibe and said that it is too much to expect from the BJP leaders after they have been exposed in front of the general public for their lies. (ANI)

Parliament Winter Session live updates: Reacting to union home minister Amit Shah's speech in the Lok Sabha, LoP Rahul Gandhi said on Thursday, “Amit Shah ji was very nervous yesterday. He used the wrong language, his hands were trembling... He is under tremendous mental pressure.”

He added, “Everybody saw this yesterday. What I asked him, he did not answer directly. He gave no proof. I have directly challenged him to come on the ground and let us discuss all my press conferences in the Parliament. I got no answer...”

Parliament Winter Session live updates: Union minister Pralhad Joshi reached the Parliament in a hydrogen-powered car. Speaking to PTI, he said, "The car I drove here today is a hydrogen car. With the blessings and leadership of the Prime Minister, a movement for green hydrogen has been started. For the manufacturing of green hydrogen, a National Green Hydrogen Mission, a site program, and other initiatives have been launched, and ₹24,000 crore have been allocated through the PLI (Production Linked Incentive) scheme."

He said that a major drive for hydrogen, green energy and green fuel has begun in the country. He added that Toyota Kirloskar Company and the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) from his department have signed an MoU.

Parliament Winter Session live updates: The lower house erupted into chaos after BJP MP Anurag Thakur alleged that some TMC MP was smoking e-cigarette in Parliament.

Parliament Winter Session live updates: Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla disciplined BJP MP Anurag Thakur as the latter sought to ask him a question, saying, “You can't ask me a question, you can insist”.

Following this, Thakur asked Birla if anyone was allowed to smoke e-cigarette in the House, prompting a “no” response from the speaker. Thakur then alleged that some TMC MP has been smoking the same for some time.

Parliament Winter Session live updates: Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal says, "There was a discussion on electoral reforms and the Union Home Minister gave his statement in the Lok Sabha yesterday, in which he was responding to the issues raised by the Leader of the Opposition. The opposition did not even listen to his response completely... The Home Minister was right in saying how can someone who is not a citizen of this country be included in the voter list of this country?"

Parliament Winter Session live updates: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, while talking about Amit Shah's speech during Lok Sabha debate over electoral reforms, says, "I don't understand for how long will continue to debate what was done at that point of time. When will India talk about, especially this government talk about accountability of its own? When will this government stop its whataboutery and understand that they have been in power for 11 long years? It is time that the questions that people are raising, the fears that people have, the sentiment of voter rights being addressed, a foolproof Election Commission which is not compromised - those are questions on people's mind."