Parliament Winter Session Live Updates: Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 pm. (file)
Highlights of Parliament Winter Session: After the debate on the Constitution ended in the Rajya Sabha yesterday, both the Houses resumed. Congress has given notice for discussion on Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on BR Ambedkar during the debate on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha yesterday. In the Rajya Sabha, members will discuss the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
Here are the live updates of the winter session of Parliament:
A political controversy has arisen over the remarks made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on BR Ambedkar during his address in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. While the Congress has accused Mr Shah of insulting the creator of the Constitution, the BJP has alleged that the opposition party is circulating clipped videos and playing cheap tricks.
Participating in the Constitution debate, Mr Shah said taking BR Ambedkar’s name had now become a “fashion”. ,Now it has become a fashion – Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. If you had taken this much name of God, you would have gone to heaven for seven births. (It has become a fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. If he had taken God’s name so many times, he would have got a place in heaven),” he said.
Mr Shah also said that BR Ambedkar had to resign from the first cabinet after disagreements with the Jawaharlal Nehru-led government. He said BR Ambedkar was also unhappy with the policy approach of the government and its stand on Article 370.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, Congress party has insulted the SC/ST community. He wrote, “Congress can try whatever it wants but they cannot deny that the worst massacre against SC/ST communities has taken place during their rule. For years they remained in power but failed to empower the SC and ST communities. Didn’t do anything for.” On X (formally Twitter).
Amid protests by Congress and Opposition against Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on BR Ambedkar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to social media and criticized Congress for “malicious lies” and insults towards Dr BR Ambedkar.
In a social media post, PM Modi listed the “sins of Congress towards Dr Ambedkar”. These include:
- Making them lose the elections not once but twice
- Pandit Nehru campaigned against him and made his defeat a prestige issue
- He was refused Bharat Ratna
- Refusal to give his portrait pride of place in the Central Hall of Parliament
Opposition MPs protested against Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s speech during the debate on the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha yesterday. The MPs allege that Mr Shah insulted Dr BR Ambedkar in his speech.
#Watch Delhi: Opposition MPs protested against Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s speech during the debate on the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha yesterday.
MPs allege that the Union Home Minister insulted Dr. BR Ambedkar in his speech yesterday. pic.twitter.com/9e5v3KV4Jl
– ANI (@ANI) 18 December 2024
Parliament Winter Session Update: Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 pm
Within a few minutes, the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament, has been adjourned till 2 pm.
Responding to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s speech in the Rajya Sabha during the debate on the Constitution, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said, “Super malls of hatred have been built everywhere in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, bulldozers have been run.” Going every day… We wanted a discussion on the Constitution but they talked about what happened 50 years ago, what happened 75 years ago, what happened during the Emergency… They ‘One Nation, One Election’ Let’s talk about but yesterday there was a discussion there many speakers and one speech someone wrote the same speech for Nirmala Sitharaman, Hardeep Singh Puri, JP Nadda, Bhupinder Yadav and Amit Shah, it felt like I was watching a movie In which the producer, director, actor and screenwriter are the same…
#Watch Delhi: On the speech of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Rajya Sabha during the debate on the Constitution, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said, “Super malls of hatred have been set up everywhere in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, bulldozers.” In progress… pic.twitter.com/hrOxYzrzxo
– ANI (@ANI) 18 December 2024
#Watch On One Nation One Election Bill, SP MP Ram Gopal Yadav says, “…the bill cannot come to Parliament without going to the JPC. This is a very important bill, a bill that changes the structure of the Constitution…so, this Will go (to JPC) but I don’t think this bill… pic.twitter.com/hFpnCUxaPG
– ANI (@ANI) 18 December 2024
Congress MP Imran Masood congratulated the BJP MPs for their absence after the ‘One Nation One Poll’ bill did not get majority in the Lok Sabha. He said the BJP wants to “destroy the multi-party system” in the country.
#Watch On the One Nation One Election Bill, Congress MP Imran Masood says, “As soon as it was introduced (in the Lok Sabha), it became clear that it could not be passed. 360 MPs are required to pass it but their (NDA) has 20 MPs.” ) Total strength was absent because it is lethal… pic.twitter.com/GRylPhxnBP
– ANI (@ANI) 18 December 2024
Congress MP Vijay Vasant gave an adjournment motion notice in the Lok Sabha to discuss disparities in MNREGA wages.
Congress MP Vijay Vasant gave an adjournment motion notice in the Lok Sabha to discuss disparities in MNREGA wages. pic.twitter.com/4QmJgPjYoa
– ANI (@ANI) 18 December 2024
Congress MP Manikam Tagore has given an adjournment motion notice in the Lok Sabha to discuss the remarks of Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding Dr. BR Ambedkar.
In his notice, Mr Tagore wrote, “He (Amit Shah) has further trivialized the great contribution of Dr Ambedkar by suggesting that those who repeatedly take his name like the Congress will attain “heaven” This condemnable statement is an attempt to undermine Dr. Ambedkar’s important role in drafting the Indian Constitution, which guarantees equality, justice and dignity to all citizens, especially marginalized communities.”
The Congress party has urged the House to “take a strong stand against this disrespect” and demanded an unconditional apology.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah argued that if Congress can change the Constitution 77 times and also introduce a clause curtailing freedom of expression, then he will not object to the ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill on this ground. It is possible that this would require a constitutional amendment.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha during the two-day Constitution debate, Mr Shah said, “Another amendment was brought by Indira Gandhi which gave Parliament the power to curtail the fundamental rights of citizens.”
Then referring to Article 19A, he asked why it was brought. “To curtail freedom of expression,” he said amid loud protests from Congress members.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the Constitution Amendment Bill ‘One Nation, One Pole’ in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Once approved, the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, popularly known as the Bill on ‘One Nation, One Election’, will provide for Lok Sabha, Assembly and local body (urban or rural) elections. Will ensure. If not in the same year then it should be organized in the same year. This was the rule from independence till 1967.
A two-thirds majority (307 votes) is required to pass any bill. 269 votes were cast in favor of the proposal while 198 members opposed it.
For now, the bill will be sent to a joint committee for “broad consultation”. The composition of the joint committee – which will also include Rajya Sabha MPs – will be decided by Speaker Om Birla in 48 hours (Thursday). This deadline is important as this session of Parliament ends on Friday. If a committee is not named and charged, the bill lapses and must be reintroduced in the next session.
