Parliament Winter Session Live Updates: Rijiju criticizes Kharge for raising issue of Dhankhar’s exit, Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 pm amid ruckus

PM Modi spoke in Rajya Sabha on the first day of winter session. He welcomed VP as Rajya Sabha Chairman.

Winter session proceedings begin in both houses of Parliament. New members took oath.

Reacting to PM Modi’s dramatic jibe at the opposition, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticized the PM for his frequent absence from Parliament as well as addressing the nation on the need for opposition cooperation.

Jairam Ramesh alleged that the PM undermines parliamentary functioning by refusing to hold talks with the opposition and preventing discussion on important public issues. He said that if the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha do not function smoothly, the responsibility lies entirely with the Prime Minister’s refusal to allow debate.

Accusing the Prime Minister of hypocrisy, Ramesh termed him the “biggest dramatist”, arguing that blaming others for drama while suppressing opposition voices is a glaring contradiction.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged opposition parties to take the winter session of Parliament responsibly and said election defeat should not become an excuse for disruption. He stressed that Parliament should remain a platform for substantive debate, adding that victory should not lead to arrogance and defeat should not create obstructionism.

Taking a dig at the opposition, PM Modi commented, “There is a lot of room for drama, those who want to perform can do so. But what matters is the delivery. If you have already lost, you have already spoken. Go there and speak where you have to face defeat.”

He said that this session will reflect the intentions of the Parliament towards the nation and its commitment towards progress. He said that some parties seem unable to accept the recent election results, their statements reflect deep disappointment.

Calling the session more than a ritual, the Prime Minister said it should “serve the country, not despair of defeat”, and help advance India’s development.

Taking a dig at the opposition, the PM said, “For some time now, our Parliament is being used either as a preparation for the elections or to vent out the frustration of the electoral defeat. All the anger is expressed inside the House. Some parties have made the Parliament for the politics of their respective states. The country is not accepting the game they have been playing for the last ten years.”

PM Modi addressed the nation before the winter session of Parliament.

BJP National President JP Nadda informed about the party whip before the winter session of Parliament.

He advised them to ensure that all members come prepared for the session and present their views strongly. The whip has been asked to tell MPs that they should not be worried by the opposition’s methods of distracting them from the real focus.

The winter session is set to consider several major bills, indicating a busy legislative agenda. The major proposals include the National Highways (Amendment) Bill, Atomic Energy Bill, Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, and the Higher Education Commission of India Bill, 2025. The Atomic Energy Bill is expected to attract special scrutiny as it may allow private companies to set up nuclear power plants for the first time, marking a significant change in India’s nuclear policy.

Along with legislative business, Parliament will debate and vote on the first batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2025-26. The government is also planning a whole day discussion on this Vande Mataram As part of the commemoration of its 150th year.

Before the sixth session of the 18th Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will brief the accredited media representatives at 10 am at the Hans Gate of the Parliament House while setting the agenda of the session.

Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav warned that the Lok Sabha will not function if the Special Intensive Review (SIR) is not discussed.

He accused the process of serious wrongdoing, highlighting concerns over election integrity.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla welcomed the winter session of the 18th Lok Sabha, calling Parliament the supreme platform to express the country’s expectations, democratic values ​​and collective responsibility.

He urged the members to maintain duty, restraint and public welfare while strengthening the spirit of representation. Birla expressed hope that the MPs would actively participate and strengthen democratic traditions, making the session meaningful and productive.

Om Birla’s post on Will contribute.” The session was fruitful through their active participation.”

Congress leader Udit Raj criticized the government ahead of the winter session of Parliament and claimed that important issues including special intensive amendments (SIR), pollution and international relations were being ignored.

He highlighted the shrinking parliamentary calendar, noting that sessions once lasted 140–150 days but have now dropped to about 60, often interrupted by boycotts, thereby weakening the institution.

Addressing Union Minister Kiren Rijiju’s comments, Raj questioned the government’s approach towards SIR in Assam, and accused officials of acting selectively and ignoring national interest. He warned that failure to discuss SIR is a threat to democracy, the Constitution and public safety.

Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad criticized the BJP over the SIR exercise and called it a threat to democracy and the Constitution. He alleged biased deployment of BLOs in favor of the ruling party, highlighted the deaths of more than half of the BLOs in UP and said the opposition would raise the matter in Parliament.

Congress Lok Sabha MP Vijay Kumar alias Vijay Vasant gave an adjournment motion notice in the Lok Sabha demanding immediate suspension of the SIR exercise in all 12 states and union territories.

Congress MP Renuka Chaudhary has moved an adjournment motion under Rule 267 in the Rajya Sabha, seeking an urgent discussion on the deaths of booth level officers (BLOs) and human rights violations during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls by the Election Commission. He warned that excessive workload, unsafe conditions and forced targeting have already led to several deaths and suicides among BLOs in the states.

Chaudhary expressed concern over reports of large-scale wrongful deletion of voters’ names, calling it a constitutional threat that undermines democratic participation. He urged Parliament to suspend all other business to address the growing humanitarian and electoral crisis.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh has moved a suspension of business notice under Rule 267 in the Rajya Sabha, demanding immediate discussion on the Election Commission’s SIR. Alleging arbitrary deletion of voters’ names, deaths of BLOs and large-scale disenfranchisement, he warned that these issues pose a serious threat to the constitutional guarantees under Articles 14, 21 and 326.

The winter session of Parliament began with a jam-packed legislative agenda in the Lok Sabha. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will introduce the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which aims to update the provisions of the 1944 Act.

The Finance Minister will also move the Health Care National Security Cess Bill, 2025, proposing a new cess to boost national security and public health funding.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore has moved an adjournment motion notice in the Lok Sabha, urging immediate suspension of the Special Intensive Review (SIR) exercise in all 12 states and union territories.