Both the Houses of Parliament took up the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address on Monday. President Ram Nath Kovind had addressed the joint sitting of both Houses on June 20.

Newly appointed BJP working president J P Nadda opened the debate in the Rajya Sabha, while Union minister Pratap Chandra Sarangi led the charge in the Lok Sabha.

The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019 were introduced in the Lok Sabha today. The Parliament session will continue till 26th of July.

Also read: Amit Shah’s maiden bill in Parliament today on J-K quotas

4:40 pm IST ‘I apologise to PM if he felt bad about my remark in LS’: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury “It is a misunderstanding, I didn’t say ‘naali’, if PM is upset with it I’m sorry. I had no intention to hurt him. If PM is hurt I’ll personally apologise to him. My hindi is not good, by ‘naali’ I meant channel,” said Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on his remark in Lok Sabha, reported news agency ANI.





3:46 pm IST Jharkhand has become a factory of lynching and violence: Ghulam Nabi Azad “Jharkhand has become a factory of lynching and violence. Dalits and Muslims are killed there every week. PM, we are with you in the fight of ‘Sabka saath sabka vikas’ but it should be there for people to see it. We can’t see it anywhere,” said Ghulam Nabi Azad, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, reported news agency ANI.





3:43 pm IST Opposition should rethink, but its leaders are still arrogant: J P Nadda BJP today asked the opposition in the Rajya Sabha to do a rethink on its stance on various issues in the light of the massive mandate it has got in the Lok Sabha elections but felt the rivals are still arrogant even after losing all their strength, reported news agency ANI. “We should not disagree just for the sake of disagreeing. Opposition just for the sake of opposition is not good for democracy. We got the mandate despite your opposition and continuous disrupting of House in last four years,” said J.P. Nadda, the newly-appointed BJP Working President, who initiated the discussion from the treasury benches on the discussion on the President’s address in the House.





3:22 pm IST ‘We shall resist you with all our might’: TMC’s Saugata Roy “We shall resist you with all our might. Even if there is violence in Bengal, or people move to BJP, we will resist you all our might in order to protest secularism,” said TMC leader Saugata Roy in the Lok Sabha.





3:12 pm IST Delhi emerging crime capital of country: Sanjay Singh in Rajya Sabha The matter of alleged beating up of an auto driver by police in the city was raised in the Rajya Sabha on Monday by AAP member Sanjay Singh. Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, he said Delhi was emerging as the “crime capital” of the country and urged the Home Ministry convene a meeting to discuss the issue. Singh cited several incidents of crime in Delhi to stress his point. He alleged that 220 round of bullets were fired on Delhi roads during the past one month while 243 incidents of rape were reported during the past one year.Incidents of murder too were on the rise, he said. The AAP MP further alleged that auto driver Sarabjeet Singh was dragged on the road and beaten up.





3:10 pm IST ‘There’s a doubt that EVms were manipulated’: TMC’s Saugata Roy “There’s a doubt about election results. How come one day before counting the then BJP president announced that the party will win 300 seats, and they won so. There’s a doubt that EVms were manipulated,” said AITC’s Saugata Roy in the Lok Sabha. “The government is in power through a doubtful use of EVMs,” he added.





3:00 pm IST ‘PM Modi very big salesman, Cong failed to market product’: Congress’ Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury The BJP came back to power as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a “very big salesman” while the Congress failed to market its product in the Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said Monday. Speaking in the Lok Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, Chowdhury launched a scathing attack on the government and Prime Minister Modi, with the Chair ordering expunging of some of his comments, considered unparliamentary. “Our Prime Minister is a very big salesman.We (Congress) have been unable to sell our product, that is why we lost(Lok Sabha elections),” he said.





2:50 pm IST Abhinandan Varthaman’s moustache should be made ‘national moustache’: Cong Lok Sabha leader “Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman should be awarded and his moustache should be made ‘national moustache’, Congress Lok Sabha leader, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in Lok Sabha. Congress Lok Sabha leader, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in Lok Sabha: Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman should be awarded and his moustache should be made 'national moustache'. (file pic of Abhinandan Varthaman) pic.twitter.com/0utFf61wwl — ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2019





2:40 pm IST ‘Why no word on US- China trade war, US-Iran tension’: Congress in LS “One thing is a matter of concern, why is the govt quiet about tensions between US and China, and US and Iran. This is adversely affecting the country. When the PM has maintained good international relations why is nothing being done about this issue,” said Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury .





2:20 pm IST ‘Compliment addicted’: Congress leader takes a jibe at NDA govt “It’s a complimented addicted government and likes to hoard compliments by manipulating facts,” said Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in the Lok Sabha today. “They boast about the developments and progress in their reign and accuse Congress of having done nothing, however, I want to remind them that it was Congress that brought about the developments like Green Revolution and White Revolution,” he said. ”They are happy with Modi’s success, but the Congress wants India’s success,” he added.





2:10 pm IST ‘You called Sonia, Rahul Gandhi thieves, how come they are in Parliament’: Congress’ Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury “Did you manage to catch anybody in 2G & coal allocation scam? Did you manage to send Sonia Gandhi ji & Rahul Gandhi ji behind the bars? You came to power by calling them thieves, then how are they sitting in the parliament,” asked Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in Lok Sabha.





1:50 pm IST 809 posts of teachers vacant in Sanskrit universities:HRD minister Over 800 posts of teachers of the total 1,748 are lying vacant in Sanskrit universities and institutions funded by central and state governments, HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ told Lok Sabha on Monday. He said the government has launched a special drive to fill up vacancies and is currently engaging guest and part- time faculty to meet the shortage. Replying to a question, he said there are about 120 universities which offer Sanskrit as a subject or language while there are 15 Sanskrit universities, with three of them being deemed ones fully funded by central governments. There are 1000 traditional Sanskrit colleges affiliates to these universities with about 10 lakh students, he said.





1:38 pm IST A govt has been formed on pro-incumbency for first time: BJP’s Heena Gavit BJP’s Nandurbar MP Dr Heena Gavit: “ This was a unique election , women voted decisively in favour of PM Modi as also the youth. Whatever improvement we can see now is due to the BJP government as compared to the 60 years before that. Till now, the governments were formed on anti-incumbency but it is for the first time, a government has been formed on pro-incumbency, we have got a positive vote. We will conquer new territories in the south the next time. People from every part of the country have voted for PM Modi.





1:15 pm IST Apologize to PM, Sarangi tells opposition in LS Minister of State and first-time MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi opened the first debate of the 17th Lok Sabha on Monday by launching a scathing attack on the Congress, asserting that the opposition should apologize to the Prime Minister for building a false narrative against him in the general elections. Speaking on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address, Sarangi sang praises of Narendra Modi terming him a rare statesman amidst protests from the opposition. Known for leading an austere life, Sarangi said the opposition should introspect after the crushing defeat and be magnanimous in praising Modi who has been given an unprecedented mandate by the people. He said that people rejected the “milavat” (adulterated) and accepted the pure referring to the Grand Alliance of the opposition in Uttar Pradesh which came together only to defeat Modi.





12:42 pm IST Discussion on Motion of thanks on President’s address underway The discussion on Motion of thanks on President’ Ramnath Kovind’s address is underway in Lok Sabha. MoS in ministry of micro small and medium enterprises Pratap Chandra Sarangi moved the motion. Discussion on Motion of thanks on the President's address underway in Lok Sabha. pic.twitter.com/vSKA1AWbBM — ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2019





12:30 pm IST Piyush Goyal introduces Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill Railway minister Piyush Goyal introduced the Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the Lok Sabha today. The Union Cabinet had recently approved introduction of the Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill, 2019 to replace an ordinance which was promulgated in March by the previous government. The ordinance had paved the way for trusts to set up units in SEZs. After the amendment of sub-section (v) of section 2 of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005, a trust or any entity notified by the central government will be eligible to be considered for grant of permission to set up a unit in SEZs, according to the bill. The amendment also seeks to provide flexibility to the central government to include ‘trusts’ in the definition of a ‘person’, in a bid to facilitate investments in these zones.





12:18 pm IST RS members raise issue of drinking water crisis Rajya Sabha MPs Monday raised the issue of growing drinking water crisis in different parts of the country and demanded immediate interventions such as inter-linking of rivers and rain water harvesting to recharge ground water table. Raising the issue through a Zero Hour mention, Satyanarayan Jatiya (BJP) said parts of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Karnataka have traditionally faced water crisis but now the problem has extended to fresh areas “There has to be a permanent solution to drinking water crisis,” he said, suggesting five big river inter-linking projects need to be taken up on a priority so as to make available excess water of one area to deficit regions. Ashok Bajpai (BJP) said a NITI Aayog report has stated that there will be a water crisis in parts of the country next year.





12:15 pm IST Ravi Shankar Prasad tables Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has tabled the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019. It will replace an ordinance issued in March and proposes stiff penalties for violation of norms. The Bill also proposes giving a child an option to exit from the biometric ID programme on attaining 18 years of age.





12:05 pm IST PM Modi in Lok Sabha Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also in the Lok Sabha where ministers have begun tabling various bills.





12:01 pm IST Question hour ends The question hour in the Lok Sabha has ended. New education draft policy was among the major issues raised in this hour of the Lower House.





11:47 am IST DMK’s TR Baalu gives notice in Lok Sabha over water crisis in TN DMK MP from Sriperumbudur, TR Baalu has given a notice in the Lok Sabha today over the water crisis issue in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu has been reeling under acute water crisis stress for the past several months as Chennai’s Porur Lake, one of the main sources of water has reached its lowest level.





11:45 am IST AAP MP gives zero hour notice in RS over spurt crime in Delhi Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh on Monday gave a zero hour notice in the Rajya Sabha over the spurt in crime rate in the city-state. This is the second time that the AAP leader has given a zero hour notice in the Upper House of Parliament in connection with the crime scene in the national capital. The Zero Hour refers to the time immediately following the Question Hour in both the Houses of Parliament. During this hour parliamentarians can raise matters of great importance without the mandatory prior ten days notice.





11:39 am IST Amit Shah arrives in Parliament Union Home minister Amit Shah arrived in the Parliament. He is likely to table the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in The Lok Sabha today.





11:29 am IST ‘Short questions, direct replies’: LS Speaker’s first advice to MPs In his first meeting with political leaders, newly elected Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Thursday he wanted more questions to be accommodated during Question Hour to ensure better utilisation of one of Parliament’s key sessions. Birla suggested that questions by MPs should be short and crisp and answers from ministers to the point. This would curtail the amount of time spent on each question and enable more questions of national and social importance to be asked and answered during Question Hour.





11:20 am IST ‘No to EVMs, Yes to paper ballots’: TMC MPs protest against EVMs TMC MPs are holding a sit-in in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue on the Parliament’s premises , demanding election be held by ballot paper instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs). The party, which has been crying foul over the use of EVMs in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha polls, Monday said their agenda for the protest was - “No to EVMs, Yes to paper ballots.” TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier raised questions over the electronic voting machines (EVMs) used in the polls and urged opposition parties to unitedly demand the return of ballot papers. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo said a fact-finding committee should be constituted to find out the details about the EVMs used in the recent polls.





11:00 am IST Parliament proceedings begin Proceedings in both the lower and upper house of the Parliament have begun. The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019 are likely to be introduced in the Lok Sabha while Both the Houses of Parliament will take up the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address.





10:40 am IST Aadhar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill in Lok Sabha today Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad is expected to table the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019. It will replace an ordinance issued in March and proposes stiff penalties for violation of norms. The Bill also proposes giving a child an option to exit from the biometric ID programme on attaining 18 years of age.





10:35 am IST J&K Reservation (Amendment) Bill in Lok Sabha today Union Home minister Amit Shah will today table the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2019 . The bill proposes to give reservation in educational institutions and government jobs to those living within 10km of the International Border in Jammu, on a par with people living along the Line of Control in Kashmir.





10:27 am IST Trinamool MPs to stage dharna outside Parliament House To raise the issue of “NO to EVMs, YES to paper ballots”, Trinamool Congress MPs will today stage dharna in front of statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the Parliament.



