The Unlawful Activities Amendment Bill passed in the monsoon session of Lok Sabha amid Congress and several opposition parties staging a walkout after the minister’s reply demanding that the Bill be sent to a standing committee. Home Minister Amit Shah defended amendments to an anti-terror law saying that the BJP-led government will never misuse its provisions.

The Lok Sabha began with several papers to be laid on the table but din continued over US President’s statement on the Kashmir issue. Earlier, Trump’s chief economic advisor Larry Kudlow came to defend the US president’s statement.

The Opposition has decided to demand that seven out of 16 bills, including RTI amendment bill, Triple Talaq Bill and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act Bill, in Rajya Sabha be sent to Joint Select Committee. Meanwhile, The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday bid farewell to five of its members from Tamil Nadu who have completed six years of their term.

All major highlights here:

3:37pm IST Lok Sabha passes anti-terror bill The Unlawful Activities Amendment Bill passed by the Lok Sabha amid a walk out by Congress MPs.





3:05pm IST Cong MPs demand anti-terror bill be sent to Standing Committee Congress MPs walk out of Lok Sabha demanding to send Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act Bill to a Standing Committee.





2:56pm IST ‘Don’t have any sympathy for urban Maoists’: Amit Shah Amit Shah says, “The bill is only to root out terrorism from India and it will not be misused. There’s a need for a provision to declare an individual as a terrorist, UN has a procedure for it, US has it, Pakistan has it, China has it, Israel has it, European Union has it, everyone has done it.” Adds, “ In the name of ideology, some people promote urban Maoism. We don’t have any sympathy for the urban Maoists. We will act strongly against them.” “Amendments to UAPA will keep anti-terror agencies two steps ahead of terrorists.” : Amit Shah





2:48pm IST ‘Enough safeguards to ensure the law is not misused’ Amit Shah: “This legislation was brought by the UPA government and not by us. They are now accusing us of diluting it. There are enough safeguards in the bill to ensure that the law is not misused.”





2:40pm IST Amit Shah speaks on Unlawful Activities Amendment Bill Union home minister Amit Shah, speaking on the Unlawful Activities Amendment Bill, in the Lok Sabha, says, “If UPA was correct in amending anti-terror laws in their tenure, then so are we. Even if review committee rejects this, there is a provision of approaching the Supreme Court.” “When you question us you don’t see who brought the law and the amendments, who made it stringent. It was brought when you were in power, what you did then was right and what I’m doing now is also right”, says Shah. He adds, “Provision in UAPA bill to designate a person suspected to have terror links as terrorist necessary to root out terror. This government’s primary aim is to wipe out terrorism.”





2:21pm IST Cong becomes big brother of Muslims when out of power: Owaisi AIMIM Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi, speaking the Lower House on Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act Bill, said, “I blame Congress party for this. They’re the main culprits for bringing this law. When they’re in power they’re bigger than BJP, when they lose power they become big brother of Muslims.”





2:16pm IST Oppn wants RTI amendment bill sent to JAC The Opposition has decided to demand that 7 bills out of 16 bills, including RTI amendment bill, Triple Talaq Bill and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act Bill, in Rajya Sabha be sent to Joint Select Committee: ANI





12:55pm IST RS bids farewell to five members from TN The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday bid farewell to five of its members from Tamil Nadu who have completed six years of their term, with one of them, V. Maitreyan, breaking down while giving his farewell speech. The five retiring on July 24 are Maitreyan, D. Raja, K.R. Arjunan, R. Lakshmanan and T. Rathinavel. While Raja is from the CPI, all others are from AIADMK. Outgoing AIADMK MP V Maitreyan breaks down during his speech in the Rajya Sabha, New Delhi, Wednesday, July 24, 2019. ( PTI )





12:36pm IST ‘Foreign minister’s statement on Trump-Modi meeting most authentic’ Rajnath Singh said, “External affairs minister S Jaishankar was present at Trump-Modi meeting. Therefore, his statement is most authentic on issue of Kashmir mediation.”





12:23pm IST ‘Kashmir issue not discussed in Trump-Modi meeting: Defence Minister Speaking on the issue of US President Trump’s reported remarks on Kashmir, Union defence minister Rajnath Singh said in Lok Sabha, “ As S Jaishankar ji (External Affairs Minister) said Kashmir issue was not discussed in President Trump and PM Modi meeting.” He added, “ There is no question of mediation in Kashmir issue as it will be against the Shimla agreement.”





12:20pm IST Cong walks out of LS before defence minister’s statement Congress walks out from Lok Sabha as defence minister Rajnath Singh rises to make statement on Kashmir mediation issue, reports PTI. Congress MPs walked out of Lok Sabha as defence minister rose to make a statement on President Trump’s reported remark in Kashmir. ( ANI / Twitter )





12:18pm IST Outgoing AIADMK MP breaks down during his farewell speech Outgoing AIADMK MP V Maitreyan broke down during his farewell speech in Rajya Sabha. He said, “At this juncture I place on record deep sense of gratitude towards my beloved leader, Amma (Jayalalithaa) for having immense faith in me & sending me to this House for 3 terms.” #WATCH Outgoing AIADMK MP V Maitreyan breaks down while giving farewell speech in Rajya Sabha; says, "At this juncture I place on record deep sense of gratitude towards my beloved leader, Amma (Jayalalithaa) for having immense faith in me & sending me to this House for 3 terms," pic.twitter.com/flFpqRqen4 — ANI (@ANI) 24 July 2019





12:16pm IST ‘Want to hear from horse’s mouth’: Cong asks PM to reply Congress says it wants the prime minister to reply on Trump’s Kashmir comment. “We want to hear from horse’s mouth,” says Congress, asking PM to respond on Kashmir mediation issue in Lok Sabha.





12:15pm IST Oppn protest on Trump’s Kashmir commet continues Opposition MPs continue to protest in Lok Sabha, seeking a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament on statement of US President Donald Trump on Kashmir.





11:34 AM IST Congress parliamentary meeting underway Sonia Gandhi is chairing the meet where the recent Karnataka government collapse is likely to be discussed.





11:27 AM IST Donald Trump Kashmir mediation comment debate continues in Parliament Opposition MPs demand clarification from the Prime Minister over the Kashmir mediation issue.





11:26 AM IST Ghulam Nabi Azad, leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha to hold a meeting with Congress and other opposition MPs The meeting will be held in the Parliamentary Office later today.





10:51 AM IST Sonia Gandhi arrives in the parliament, to chair meeting with all Congress Lok Sabha MPs UPA chairperson and Congress Parliamentary Party Chief Sonia Gandhi will hold a meeting with all Lok Sabha MPs today. Delhi: Congress Parliamentary Party Chief Sonia Gandhi arrives at the Parliament, she will hold a meeting of all Congress* Lok Sabha MPs, today. pic.twitter.com/pGPSjszVkf — ANI (@ANI) July 24, 2019



