The Parliament’s Winter Session has seen continuing chaos and repeated adjournments.
New Delhi:
Parliament Winter Session Live Updates: The Lok Sabha is set to begin a two-day debate to mark 75 years of the Constitution, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to reply to the debate on Saturday.
The BJP and Congress have issued a three-line whip for all its members to be present in the House on December 13 and 14. During the session, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is scheduled to deliver her debut speech in the Lower House.
The Parliament’s Winter Session, which began on November 25, has seen continuing chaos and repeated adjournments amid ruckus over various issues, including Congress’ link with billionaire George Soros, and the unrest in Sambhal and Manipur.
Here are the Live Updates from December 13:
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, several Union ministers and MPs paid floral tributes to those who laid down their lives in the 2001 terror attack on Parliament 23 years ago.
CISF personnel offered salute or ‘salami’ at the venue after a which a moment of silence was observed to mark the anniversary.
Paid homage to those martyred in the 2001 Parliament attack. Their sacrifice will forever inspire our nation. We remain eternally grateful for their courage and dedication. pic.twitter.com/h1fxvpGQy4
– Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 13, 2024
Ahead of the debate on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that many autonomous bodies are being misused, adding that the governance in the country is not good.
“We have put this condition that there should be a discussion on the Constitution. Many unconstitutional things are going on, many autonomous bodies are being misused, the governance in the country is not good, so we want a debate so that everyone can know how the governance is going on,” Kharge told ANI.
When asked about ‘One Nation, One Election’, the Congress president said that they will see what is in the bill and then they will react to it.
Eighty-six Indian nationals were attacked or murdered in various countries in 2023, the government informed the Parliament.
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh shared the data in a written response to a query. In 2023, out of the 86 Indian nationals who were attacked or murdered, the figures for the US stood at 12, while it was 10 each for Canada, the UK and Saudi Arabia, as per the data shared.
The Rajya Sabha will hold a debate on the Constitution on December 16 and 17, and Prime Minister Modi is expected to reply to it on Tuesday in the Upper House.
The debate on the Constitution has been the key demand of the opposition for the Winter Session of Parliament.
Ahead of the two-day debate, Prime Minister Modi held a strategy meet, which was attended among others by Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh besides BJP president J P Nadda.
The opposition Congress also held a strategy meeting at the party headquarters which was attended by party president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi besides other senior leaders, including K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh, to plan for the strategy in Parliament for the upcoming week.
The Lok Sabha will begin a two-day debate on the Constitution to mark the beginning of the 75th year of its adoption in the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to reply to the two-day debate on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha on Saturday, sources told PTI.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will initiate the debate on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to initiate a similar debate in the Rajya Sabha, said government sources.
The discussions will begin after the Question Hour, which is also listed in the agenda of the lower house.
India remains “concerned” at the evolving situation in West Asia and attacks against commercial vessels in and around the Red Sea threaten freedom of navigation and “impact our trade”, the government informed the Parliament.
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written response to a query also said the government has “raised the issue” with the countries in the region and the Indian Missions are “closely monitoring” the situation to mitigate its impact.
He was asked about the details of special measures that are being taken by the government to safeguard India’s energy security in view of the possible disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea due to the Israel-Iran conflict and the diplomatic efforts being made by the government to mitigate the impact of this conflict on India’s trade routes, especially the Suez Canal and the Red Sea.
A survey undertaken by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) through its various field offices revealed that 18 protected monuments and sites are “not in good state of preservation”, the government informed the Parliament.
Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said this in a written response to a query in the Rajya Sabha.
The performance audit report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India had in 2013 stated that 92 protected monuments were found missing, but 74 of them have been traced, the Centre had informed the Parliament in December 2023.
“During the survey field offices of the ASI noticed pressure due to rapid urbanisation as one the major challenges impacting monuments,” he said.
Further, watch and ward is provided at monuments through multi-tasking staff, private security guards and CISF. Besides, periodic inspections are also undertaken, he added.
Due to heavy rainfall in September this year in Agra region, “few water droplets” were noticed on September 12 through the ceiling of the main mausoleum of Taj Mahal, the government informed Parliament.
Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said this in a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha. “This year, there was continuous rainfall for more than three days from 10th to 12th September, 2024 in Agra region. Due to this heavy rainfall, few water droplets were noticed on 12.09.2024 through the ceiling of main mausoleum of Taj Mahal,” the Union minister said in his response.
“After detailed inspection using LiDAR and thermal scanning preventive measures were taken immediately by sealing the joints and gaps to stop water penetrations,” he said.
