Rahul Gandhi Returns, Rajya Sabha Passes NCT Bill: 5 Key Parliament Highlights

Days after the SC stayed his conviction in a 2019 defamation case, Rahul Gandhi returned to the Lok Sabha as an MP

(Photo: The Quint)

From Congress leader Rahul Gandhi being reinstated as a member of Parliament to Rajya Sabha passing the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, giving the Centre powers to control Delhi's bureaucracy – here are the top key highlights from the Parliament on Monday, 7 August.

Rajya Sabha Passes Delhi NCT Bill

The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, that gives the Centre powers to control Delhi's bureaucracy, was passed in the Rajya Sabha after an 8-hour-long debate. The passage of the Bill has paved the way for it to become law following the president's assent.

The Bill was passed after 131 members voted in favour of it, and 102 members voted against it.

While Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi detailed the caveats of the Bill that make the Delhi chief minister "powerless," AAP MP Raghv Chadha targeted the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) who declared support for the Bill despite not being a part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Responding to the Opposition, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the intention of the GNCTD (Amendment) Bill is purely to have corruption-free governance in Delhi. "If anybody has a problem with that, I don't know what to say," he said.

While the BJD said that it is "equidistant from both BJP and Congress but supports the Bill for matters related to legislation," the YSRCP targeted AAP by calling the party "anarchist."

In Big Win for Congress, Rahul Gandhi Is Back as MP

The Lok Sabha secretariat on Monday cleared Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s return to Parliament via a notification, days after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his remarks on the ‘Modi’ surname.

Soon after he was reinstated, Opposition MPs who are part of the 'INDIA' alliance, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Leader of Congress Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, TMC MP Derek O'Brien, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, and others were seen celebrating and eating sweets.

BJP Accuses Gandhis, Congress of Chinese Links

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attacked Rahul Gandhi a day after a report by The New York Times alleged links between tech mogul Neville Roy Singham, who finances the Indian news website NewsClick, and the Communist Party of China (CCP).

In the Lower House, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey targeted the Wayanad MP and accused him and the Congress of attempting to "divide India with the help of China."

Dubey alleged that the NYT article exposed the “tukde tukde gang” and “some media” which joined external forces to indulge in anti-India activities. He alleged that China was giving money to the Congress to oppose the Central government.

In a press conference, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur said, "We have been saying this about NewsClick. This is a propaganda to break India. This mohabbat ki dukan has China ka samaan".

The New York Times report claimed that Singham's networks fueled disinformation and influenced mainstream narratives by promoting pro-China messages.

In response to Dubey's allegations, leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, wrote a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla calling the BJP MP's remarks “libellous” and “defamatory”.

“We therefore demand, under Rule 350, that his remarks be expunged in full and that an inquiry be conducted into how such an allegation was permitted to be raised on the record,” the letter stated.

Lok Sabha Passes Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023 

Amid protests by the Opposition MPs, the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023, was passed in Lok Sabha by a voice vote on Monday. The Bill sets out requirements for platforms to collect data online, with exceptions for the government and law enforcement agencies.

The Bill, which needs to be passed by the Rajya Sabha before it becomes law, also amends the Right to Information Act, 2005, to remove public interest exemptions on disclosing personal information. 

The Opposition has raised several concerns over the legislation, such as public welfare and the protection of people's personal data.

Responding to concerns, Information and Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that exemptions to the Centre were needed. “If there is a natural disaster like an earthquake, will the government have time to seek consent for processing their data or have to act quickly to ensure their safety?” Vaishnaw asked.

Lok Sabha Passes Five Bills

Amid disruptions by Opposition parties over Manipur violence issue, the Lok Sabha on Monday passed five Bills, including the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023.

The other four Bills passed were: Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill, 2023, the Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Mediation Bill, 2023, as well as the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

The Agenda for Tuesday

The no-confidence motion moved against the NDA government by the 'INDIA' bloc is likely to be discussed in Parliament from 8-10 August.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is set to deliver a speech on the motion against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, confirmed Mallikarjun Kharge.

Though the numbers are in favour of the Modi government, the Opposition has moved the no-trust to get Modi to respond to their charges on the ongoing violence in Manipur.