Parliament Live: Rahul Gandhi says PM Modi should go to mandis; Where were you earlier, BJP retorts

Apr 29, 2015

• 12:45(IST)

  BJP, allies go after Rahul Gandhi

  Harsimrat Kaur of the SAD was the first to go after the Congress Vice President questioning where he was when there was hail and torrential rains that had affected the farmers. Painful question that, and there was no response from Rahul on that. So the mystery remains. 

  Then came Agriculture Minister Ram Vilas Paswan who said that the government has done more for the farmers than the UPA government. 

  "We are doing the work which you didn't do for the nation," Paswan said. 

   

• 12:28(IST)

  Rahul Gandhi attacks the Prime Minister in Lok Sabha, says he should visit mandis instead of foreign nations

  "There is pain in the farmers' hearts, and one of your ministers in Haryana has said that farmers who commit suicide are cowards," Rahul said. 

  BJP leaders tried to shout him down but the Congress Vice President wasn't to be cowed down. 

  He urged the Prime Minister to visit mandis instead of undertaking national tours to assess the plight of farmers. 

  "Isn't the farmer who contributes wheat to India a part of 'Make in India'?" Rahul said. 

  "You will benefit if you provide compensation to the farmers who have suffered crop losses," he said. 

  He urged the government to go to mandis and procure crop at the earliest to ease the burden of farmers. 

   

   

• 11:28(IST)

  Asked for reaction on Haryana Agriculture minister's statement on suicide, Rahul Gandhi checks what his name is

  Mobbed by reporters outside Parliament for a reaction on the Haryana agriculture minister's comment on farmers committing suicide, Rahul Gandhi heard them patiently and asked," What's his name?"

  The reporters replied,"OP Dhankar."

  "Ok," said Rahul Gandhi and walked off into Parliament. 

  Perhaps he intends to use the minister's name in his statement in Parliament, maybe he intends to work on a slogan against him. As always Rahul Gandhi has left everyone guessing on what he plans to do. 

• 11:24(IST)

  Congress seeks suspension of Question Hour, BJP says no

  The Congress sought the suspension of Question Hour to debate farmers' woes but had its request turned down. The BJP opposed it saying that Question Hour couldn't be suspended every day. And the motion was turned down. Expect a statement from the Congress Vice President later in the day. 

• 10:50(IST)

  Rahul Gandhi likely to make statement on farmers' issues in Lok Sabha today

  Congress moved a notice in the Lok Sabha, seeking suspension of Question Hour to discuss farmers' issues in the country. Party vice-president Rahul Gandhi will likely make his second statement on farmers' issues after coming back from his sabbatical.

• 13:11(IST)

  Jaitley dubs Congress as strange in Rajya Sabha

   

  Bhrashtachaar karna apraadh nahi hai, par bhrashtachaar par charchaa karna apraadh hai, yeh badi vichitra stithi hai Congress ki (Being involved in corruption is not crime but speaking of corruption is criminal... This is a strange attitude of Congress), says Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Rajya Sabha.

• 12:59(IST)

  PM is entitled to say what happened in the last 60 years: Jaitley

   

  "There is no gag order and the Prime Minister of India is perfectly entitled to say that what happened in the last 60 years, we will break away from that and present an honest government to the people of India. I am surprised at this new-found dialectics of the Marxist parties. According to them, with their new changed strategy, India is not defamed by acts of corruption, India is only defamed when you refer to acts of corruption."

   

  Meanwhile, in Lok Sabha opposition staged a walkout to counter government bid for debate on Goods and Services Tax (GST).

   

• 12:57(IST)

  Ruckus in Rajya Sabha

   

  Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley defends PM Narendra Modi's 'scam to skill' statement, which he made in Toronto, in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. 

• 13:32(IST)

  We're in constant touch with state governments: Rajnath

   

  "Four NDRF teams have been sent to Bihar and 1 NDRF team operation has been deployed in Uttar Pradesh. We are in constant touch with the state governments and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is personally monitoring the situation," says Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

• 13:29(IST)

  Rajnath Singh details rescue efforts in Nepal

   

  "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's prompt response to the devastation in Nepal is commendable. I want to use this opportunity to stress on the fact that the destruction in Nepal and the lives lost due to the devastating earthquake has pained India equally. Government acted swiftly and rescued many Indians from the affected areas. Three chief ministers -- Bihar, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh -- were very efficient and I want to express gratitude towards their involvement," says Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at Lok Sabha

  

New Delhi: The Budget session of Parliament resumes today. The government plans to table the new land ordinance in the Lok Sabha, where the government has a solid majority.

Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge said his party will participate in the debate, but "have sent a resolution and we will oppose the bill tooth and nail."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a tweet said that he is looking forward to a productive session, filled with constructive debates on several issues.

"Parliament session begins today. I look forward to a productive session, filled with constructive debates on several issues," Modi said in his tweet.

The controversial land bill issue is expected to generate much heat in Lok Sabha with the government deciding to table the new land ordinance on the very first day of the second half of Budget session.

AFP image.

While the Lok Sabha reconvenes today, the Rajya Sabha will start a new session from 23 April. It was prorogued to allow the government to issue a new ordinance or emergency order on land acquisition, incorporating nine amendments cleared by the Lok Sabha in the first part of the Budget session.

Speaking to Times Now, Union minister Venkaiah Naidu said that important issues like black money and GST need to be discussed during the Budget Session.

"Land bill is in the interest of the farmers and we have brought the bill after consultation with other states. We are not intimidated. We don't even know when the Congress leadership will go missing in action, Naidu said taking a jibe at Rahul Gandhi's almost two-month-long sabbatical.

Naidu added: "They are issue-less, because there is no scam and prices have come down. Congress is criticising us after we have been in power for 9 months. They forget what they did to India in 50 years under their rule."

He alleged that Congress is "politicising" the land acquisition issue unmindful of the consequences for development of the country.

To buttress his point, Naidu also quoted from a purported interview of former Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh to a magazine wherein Ramesh was reported to have said that excluding 13 acts from the purview of the land act of 2013 was 'real politics'.

Naidu expressed bewilderment over Ramesh saying in the said interview, as to how would it matter even if projects are delayed by three to four years on account of the provisions of land Act of 2013 like the consent clause and social impact assessment (SIA).

"Such delays would result in time and cost overruns to which several Congress Chief Ministers have objected to while seeking changes in the land Act of 2013 proposed by the Congress led UPA Government," he said.

Naidu also ridiculed Congress' allegation that the changes proposed by the NDA government would be used to acquire lands for the "benefit of RSS-affiliated organisations" and assets that it shall never be done.

According to the schedule of business, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy will lay on the table a copy of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Ordinance, promulgated by the President on April 3 under Article 123(2)(a) of Constitution.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will also make a statement regarding the 'Recent Developments in the Republic of Yemen and efforts made for safe evacuation of Indian nationals from there'.

The Budget session will conclude on May 8. The Rajya Sabha is having a new session from April 23 that will end on May 13.

On the eve of resumption of Budget Session, Modi yesterday voiced hope that it would be full of "outcomes", noting that the productivity of Parliament has "reached 125 percent" since his government came to power.

With Parliament set to witness a stormy session over a host of issues, including the land bill, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu asked BJP MPs to be present in their House throughout.

The land acquisition ordinance, which the government could not get converted into a legislation in the first half of the budget session in Parliament due to stiff opposition in Rajya Sabha, was re-promulgated on April 3, a day before it was to lapse.

With inputs from PTI