Parliament Winter Session Highlights: Rajya Sabha passes new CEC bill amid Opposition walkout

The proceedings of both the Houses including Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been adjourned till 11 am tomorrow.

Lok Sabha passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Second Amendment) Bill, 2023 on Tuesday.

The CEC and other ECs (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term) Bill, 2023 has been passed by Rajya Sabha.

Opposition on Tuesday staged a walkout from Rajya Sabha during the discussion on Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners bill.

The Rajya Sabha has initiated discussions on the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023.

Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday withdrew the three bills to replace criminal laws and introduced a fresh set of draft legislations incorporating recommendations of a parliamentary panel in Lok Sabha.

He said instead of bringing several official amendments to incorporate recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs, the government decided to bring fresh bills incorporating changes.

The discussion on the bills will take place day Thursday and voting will take place Friday, Shah told opposition members who demanded sufficient time to study the three bills.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has introduced 3 amended criminal law bills in Rajya Sabha.

“The Bill was examined by the standing committee on Home Affairs, and a lot of suggestions were taken into consideration and thus it is being replaced with amendments. The discussion of the bill will be taken up day after tomorrow (after 48 hours). Most of the changes are grammatical and only 3-4 parts have been replaced,” said home minister Amit Shah.

In a session held today in the Lok Sabha, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emphasized the government's commitment to maintaining fiscal prudence while ensuring continued support for social welfare initiatives. The discussion primarily revolved around the supplementary demand for grants, sparking intense debates among members.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla intervened during the heated discussions, reprimanding opposition members for their conduct. The Finance Minister reiterated the administration's dedication to a balanced approach, aiming to address fiscal concerns without compromising on crucial social welfare programs. The session highlighted the ongoing challenges in finding a consensus on budgetary allocations and spending priorities.

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal has presented the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023 in the Rajya Sabha. The purpose of this bill is to regulate the appointment process, conditions of service, and the term of office for the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners. Additionally, the bill aims to establish procedures for conducting business by the Election Commission. The move is part of an effort to bring about comprehensive reforms in the functioning of the Election Commission, addressing key aspects of appointment, service conditions, and operational protocols. The bill will undergo consideration and passage in the Rajya Sabha as part of the legislative process.

The CEC and other EC (appointment, conditions of service and term of office) Bill have been moved in the Rajya Sabha.

Congress MP Sonia Gandhi has arrived at the Parliament for the seventh day of the Winter Session 2023.

RJD MP Manoj Jha slammed Amit Shah over the Supreme Court verdict on Article 370, saying, “I just said that there is no elected MP from Kashmir but he (Amit Shah) took it to somewhere else. The kind of speech Home Minister Amit Shah gave today lacked dignity. So our LoP Mallikarjun Kharge decided that we should walk out of the Parliament.”

Apart from the introduction of the three criminal law bills, seven reports will be presented in the Parliament today, with the session set to resume at 11 am today.

While the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will have several significant bills today, the criminal law bills introduced by Amit Shah are set to be the centre of attaction in the Parliament today.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has sent an adjournment motion to the Lok Sabha to discuss the recent train accidents and their major impact on the transportation industry of the country.