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As the Budget Session of Parliament continues, the proceedings of the Lok Sabha resumed at 5 pm on Monday, 7 February, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the Lok Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address.
The PM began his address with paying tribute to Lata Mangeshkar, saying that "she unified the nation through her music". Subsequently, he went on to unleash a slew of attacks on the opposition parties and referred to the Congress as "leaders of the tukde-tukde gang.".
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah made a statement in the Rajya Sabha regarding the attack on the convoy of AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi in Uttar Pradesh's Hapur on 3 February, and appealed to Owaisi accept the security offered to him by the central government.
The Budget Session of Parliament began on 31 January with the President's Address
Due to the prevailing COVID-19 outbreak, the Rajya Sabha will sit from 10 am to 3 pm, and the Lok Sabha from 4 pm to 9 pm.
The first leg of the Budget Session will end on 11 February. The second part of the session is scheduled from 14 March to 8 April. Standing committees will evaluate the budgetary allocations in the recess
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The proceedings of the Upper House of the Parliament resumed at 10 am on Monday.
The Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2022 is listed for introduction in the Rajya Sabha today.
Discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address will also continue.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu made an obituary reference to legendary singer and former Member of the House Lata Mangeshkar, who passed away on Sunday.
The House observed a moment silence to mourn her demise, following which it was adjourned till 11 am.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2022 is also listed for introduction.
Discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address will continue, while a general discussion on Union Budget 2022 will also be initiated.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to make a statement in the Rajya Sabha as well as the Lok Sabha regarding the attack on the convoy of AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi in Uttar Pradesh's Hapur on 3 February.
The Rajya Sabha reconvened at 11:05 am and resumed its discussion on the presidential address.
The Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha by Tribal Affairs Minister Munda Arjun.
"India has seen new levels of development after this government came to power. Zero unmanned gates in the country today. People pay Rs 630 for 1 GB data in the world, Indians buy it in Rs 19," BJP MP Prakash Javadekar said in the Upper House.
"This is not sarcasm but whoever wrote it (the President's Address), did injustice to the President. This challenges the judgment of the people and negates the difficult situation before the country," Congress leader Anand Sharma said in the Rajya Sabha.
'A son sung by the great singer of India Lata Mangeshkar says 'jhoot bole kaua kaate' (if you lie, a crow will bite you). I don't want a crow to peck the president, but he has been forced to speak so many lies," CPI (M) leader Binoy Viswam said in the Rajya Sabha, alluding to the presidential address that recounted the achievements of the BJP-led central government.
"On 3 February, at 5:20 in the evening, Lok Sabha MP Asassudin Owaisi was returning to Delhi from Meerut when firing on his convoy took place near a toll plaza on NH 9 in Uttar Pradesh's Hapur. Owaisi remained safe, but his vehicle showed marks of three bullets. Three witnesses also saw this," Home Minister Amit Shah said.
"Two unidentified people had fired on the carcade. An FIR has been registered," he added. Shah further noted that two persons have been arrested in connection with the matter, and had recovered an Alto car and two pistols from them.
"Owaisi had no prescheduled event in Hapur district, no information about his movement was sent to District Control Room beforehand. After the incident, he reached Delhi safely," the home minister stated in the Rajya Sabha.
"The law and order situation in the district is now normal. Strict vigilance is being maintained. The threat to Owaisi has been reassessed and a bulletproof vehicle and Z category security has been given to him. The central government had offered security to Owaisi. However, he has denied the security. I appeal to him to immediately take the protection," he said.
Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till tomorrow, 8 February.
Indian Union Muslim League MPs in Lok Sabha – ET Muhammed Basheer, Abdussamad Samadani and K NavasKani have given adjournment notice to demand discussion on the recent Udupi Hijab row in Karnataka.
The Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 5 pm in memory of Lata Mangeshkar.
Raising the Karnataka Hijab issue in Lok Sabha, Kerala Congress MP TN Prathapan said:
"Where are we taking our India? We cannot lose our diversity. I request the Education Minister to intervene in this matter to ensure the constitutional rights of the students."
"There is a new world order post COVID19 pandemic. We are being recognised as a leader. India must take the global leadership role", PM Modi stated in Lok Sabha.
He added, "Today poor people of the country are getting gas and connection, houses and toilets. They have their own bank account. But unfortunately, some people's minds are still stuck in 2014."
PM Modi also alleged that some people have a problem with 'Make in India' "because, for them, it means that there will be no corruption, they won't be able to gather money...we have made an attempt to resolve all pending issues of the defence sector".
Attacking the opposition PM Modi said:
"The opposition has raised the issue of inflation here, it would've been better if they have raised that matter while their government was in power. During the pandemic also our government tried to tackle inflation."
Further, he alleged that even as Coronavirus is a global pandemic, "but some even misused that for political gains."
He also hit out at Congress leader P Chidambaram for writing articles in newspapers about the current economic state of the country and said.
He went on to allege that there is no change in the Congress Party's ego despite being voted out of many states.
Subsequently, in his attack against the Congress party, the PM accused them of practicing divisive politics, and said: "Congress has become the leader of tukde-tukde gang."
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor decried Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) for failing to warn Kerala before heavy rains in October and said:
"Lives were lost, property damaged but no one takes responsibility. Kerala needs 256 Weather Stations but has only 21 of which 15 are functional. IMD promised 100!"
The Lok Sabha has been adjourned till tomorrow (Tuesday, 7 February).