The Parliament will meet on Monday as part of the Winter Session in the backdrop of BJP victories in Assembly election in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

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Speaking to ANI, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "For the first time a prime minister has accused former prime minister, former vice-president and diplomats of conspiring with Pakistan for Gujarat elections. Modi must clarify in Parliament."

After bitter and acrimonious campaigning for Gujarat election, the Opposition, especially Congress, is up in arms and it is therefore expected that the first day of the Winter Session will be a stormy one.

Hoping that the Winter Session will be a "constructive" one, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the media and said, "The Winter Session of Parliament is starting and I am confident that it will be productive session. I hope there is constructive debate and we come up with innovative solutions to our nation's problems. May this Parliament Session contribute to the nation's growth. At yesterday's all-party meeting, we all were clear that we need to take the country ahead and this session should be used positively to achieve that."

I am confident that it will be a productive session: Narendra Modi

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, in response to Narendra Modi's appeal for a constructive session, said, "We are always in favour of constructive suggestion. We are very much interested to run Parliament and issues to be discussed, provided the government should take interest and create such an atmosphere which is conducive for discussion. They should respect the opposition."

After obit references, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the Lower House for the day. The House will meet again at 11 am on 18 December, 2017. Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly Election results will be announced on 18 December, as well.

The Winter Session will see some 19 amendment bills as part of the agenda. Some of these amendment bills such as the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013 — makes prior sanction necessary to in order to investigate officials — and the Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2015 — specifies grounds under which disclosures related to corruption may not be made — may attract a lot of flak from the anti-corruption brigade. Both the bills, have also been criticised for their half-hearted attempts to curb corruption.

According to PRS Legislative , on agendar are some 40 bills focussing on areas such as overseas citizenship, consumer protection, rights of compensation for Mulsim divorced women, education, surrogacy, bankruptcy, corruption, and labour and transgender rights among others.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriages) Bill gives women from the community the right to seek maintenance from their husbands in case of triple talaq, while the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2017 prohibits certain persons, including promoters of defaulter companies, from submitting a resolution plan, the PRS added.

The new bills listed for introduction and passage include Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2017, Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriages) Bill, 2017 and Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States_Amendment Bill), 2017.

Opposition leaders in Rajya Sabha questioned the Chair's decision to disqualify senior JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav. Even as Chairman Venkaiah Naidu continued to tell the leaders of Opposition to sit down, Leader of Opposition in Upper House Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the Opposition did not intend to question the Chair's decision but demanded clarification on why was Yadav expelled from the Rajya Sabha.

The Opposition forced the first adjournment of the Rajya Sabha as leaders stormed the well demanding an explanation over JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav's expulsion. The Upper House is adjourned till 12 pm.

Advocate Nizam Pasha, who filed the plea on the behalf of the leader, said the matter regarding which faction is the real Janta Dal was sub judice and a final decision is yet to be passed.

Yadav was elected to the House last year and his term was scheduled to end in 2022. Anwar’s term was to expire early next year.

The JD(U) had sought their disqualification on the grounds that they had attended a rally of Opposition parties in Patna in violation of its direction.

The Rajya Sabha chairman had agreed to the JD(U)’s contention that the two senior leaders had “voluntarily given up” their membership by defying the party’s directives and attending events of Opposition parties.

Yadav, along with another MP Ali Anwar, was disqualified from the Rajya Sabha on 4 December. Yadav had joined hands with the Opposition after JD(U) president and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar dumped the grand alliance with the RJD and the Congress in Bihar and tied up with the BJP in July this year.

Former JD(U) president Sharad Yadav on 12 December, 2017 moved the Delhi High Court seeking setting aside of his disqualification from the Rajya Sabha. Yadav, in his plea, said he was not given any chance by the authorities before passing an order against him.

The notification for the new seating arrangements has been issued by the Rajya Sabha secretariat for new members. Shah's seat is on the other side of the aisle from Modi and BJP's leader of the house, Jaitley.

Shah has been allotted a front row seat of the treasury benches in the Rajya Sabha with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Shah will be occupying the seat held by M Venkaiah Naidu till he was elected as the Vice-President.

BJP chief Amit Shah made his debut in Parliament today. He was elected as a Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat in August this year.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad raises the issue of Modi's allegations against former prime minister Manmohan Singh and others of conspiring with Pakistan for Gujarat election. "Ye sadharan aarop nahi hai (This isn't a ordinary allegation)," Azad said.

The Upper House witnessed two adjournments in the morning of the first day of the Winter Session. While it saw an adjournment for 20 minutes till noon in the beginning after Opposition uproar over disqualification of rebel JDU leaders Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar Ansari, the second one was over the Prime Minister's remarks.

Rajya Sabha reconvenes after third adjournment on the first day

"Congress has lost Himachal Pradesh, and I want to thank the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) for the unprecedented victory in Gujarat," Somaiya said

While opposition members were seen standing at their seats and protesting, from the treasury benches — BJP MP Kirit Somaiya, who had the first question listed against his name, said the Bharatiya Janata Party was headed for victory in both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

The Lok Sabha witnessed an adjournment minutes after it met on Monday amid an uproar, and Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till 12 noon.

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 11 am on Tuesday after Opposition continued to raise slogans in the House.

The Opposition raises slogans demanding an apology from Narendra Modi ("Pradhan Mantri maafi mango"). Meanwhile the Speaker continues to run the House as numerous motions are passed in rapid fashion by voice votes.

While Yogi Adityanath and Keshav Prasad Maurya resigned as they shifted to Uttar Pradesh politics, Nana Patole had quit the party citing Modi government's indifference towards agrarian crisis.

While Nitin Gadkari is expected to move the Central Road Fund (Amendment) Bill, Hardeep Puri is expected to do so with the Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property (Amendment) Bill.

Calling the FRDI bill anti-people, the Trinamool Congress and other Opposition parties are all set to corner the government over the law.

The TMC has issued a notice for discussion on FRDI bill in Lok Sabha.

The Congress has moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha seeking an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his comment on Manmohan Singh.

Now, Congress MPs come to the well of the Lok Sabha

While Derek O' Brien raises the issue of FRDI bill, Congress MP Anand Sharma talks about undertrials in India, urging the Modi government to do something to curb the issue.

Leader of House Arun Jaitley says, "Everybody must get speedy trials. Do we have vested interests in delaying trials of politicians?"

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, SP MP Naresh Agarwal asks Arun Jaitley if the NDA government will create special trial courts to try those who defaulted on Rs 8 lakh crore. His statement came after the government sought to push a new law to expedite the trial of MLAs and MPs.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Pratap Singh Bajwa asked the government to intervene in the stubble burning by the farmers of Punjab and Haryana. He also raised the issue of Sri Lankan cricketers wearing masks does not bode well for India's international reputation.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Pratap Singh Bajwa asked the government to intervene in the stubble burning by the farmers of Punjab and Haryana. He also raised the issue of Sri Lankan cricketers wearing masks does not bode well for India's international reputation.

Speaking in RS, TMC MP Sukhendu Shekhar Roy urges government to protect the personal data linked to the Aadhar. He adds that privacy is a fundamental law and hence the government needs to make a law to protect the data from third party external organizations.

Slogan shouting continued in the Lok Sabha as the Chair asked them not to disturb the Question Hour. "If you don't want the House to function, give that in writing," Mahajan said before adjourning the LS for half an hour.

"The farming community in the coastal belt stands thoroughly devastated. I ask the government, 'Why can't you declare this as a national disaster? What is preventing this?'" CPI leader D Raja asks the government.

Anand Sharma of the Congress says, "If the perception is created that special courts are needed only for MPs, other people should not have to bear the brunt of it." He adds, "It has an inherent potential to be abused in entirety by the government of the day."

"Government believes in "sabka saath sabka vikaas". The committee is trying to create communal divide in the country. i request the government to replace the managing committee of Dyal Singh College in Delhi," SAD MP Naresh Gujaral says while requesting the government to not rename the institute "Vande Mataram College."

Azad raises the issue of alleged EVM tampering in Gujarat. He also raises the issue of Prime Minister Narendra Modi making insinuation against Manmohan Singh, Hamid Ansari and Mani Shankar Aiyar.

In RS, Azad says if any leader is found to be guilty then punish them. "PM Modi maafi maango" is heard in the House.

While the Lok Sabha reconvenes, the noise over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement continues to disturb the working of the House.

Chairman Venkaiah Naidu asks Congress to not raise the issue and disrupt the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha. He said that the issue needs to be sorted out with a discussion with the Leader of the House (Jaitley).

JP Narayan Yadav of the RJD tells the House, "I request Lalu Prasad Yadav's NSG protection to be reinstated. He might be killed today. A lot of people adore him and he needs to be protected."

In Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley says, "Leaders of opposition shall be invited to discuss this issue." After his assurance, the House has been functioning smoothly.

Over a question whether the government is taking any steps to address the lack of medical infrastructure, Nadda says that AIIMS standards cannot be diluted. But he adds that there is a lack of faculty which is being addressed.

He said that despite the crude oil prices falling, the price of diesel and petrol has remained the same. "Now that BJP is in power and at Centre, when will it bring the petroleum under GST?" he adds.

"When will the GST council decide to bring it under the ambit of GST? what is the position of the Centre?" the former finance minister asks. Chidambaram says that the Centre has a veto power over the decision taken by the council.

"A constitutional bill has been passed. It stated that petroleum products is not out of the law. It is a part of GST but the decision to levy GST is concerned, it will be taken only after council takes decision. For that we need a 3/4th majority," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.

The issue has been raised by several Assam MPs in Lok Sabha. Looking at the seriousness of the issue, Union Minister Ananth Kumar has assured the House that the Centre will look into the issue.

"Not happy with what they did. That they came into the well is shameful. You can interrupt us but do not disrupt the proceedings. They insulted the Chair. Even Mallikarjuna Kharge disrupted the House. We condemn it." Ananth Kumar said.

The government has tabled the Companies Act (Amendment), 2017 in the Rajya Sabha. On the other hand, the government has introduced the Repealing and Amendment Bill, 2017 in the Lok Sabha.

Chidambaram said that the Bill has noble objectives. However, he added that the relaxations given to small and medium companies under this law will apply to all companies because we have only one Companies Act. Chidambaram said that there is a need to consider having a separate comprehensive legislation for small and medium companies.

This Bill seeks to repeal 131 Acts. Among the Acts that will be repealed, 30 are pre-Independence laws. This Bill also includes nine Ordinances promulgated before Independence.

What will the Repealing and Amendment Bill, 2017 do?

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee says, " While there is no doubt that the Emergency in 1975-77 affected many people, there is a kind of Emergency without even constitutionally declaring it nowadays. It is important to make a distinction between the official emergency in 1975 and the post-2014 situation," Banerjee adds.

There is an undeclared Emergency now, says TMC MP

235 old laws to be repealed by this law!

"Corporate Governance leaves much to be desired in India. May be it is a legacy issue in the country. The law is old. It took 15 years for us to bring the new law. In between, there were various excesses in corporate world. There have been no proper regulation of companies. So, there is much to be desired. Like, many companies do not pay taxes but are part of the Registrar," Chidambaram says while concluding his speech.

235 old laws to be repealed by this law!

Shiv Sena in the Lower House, demanded that along with the 235 archaic laws, the government must also repeal Section 377, which grants Jammu and Kashmir special status.

"Changes required to ensure that reserved seat for woman director is not occupied by family members of promoters," Seth said. He also raised the point of concentrated expenditure of CSR funds. "A lot of big companies are in Maharashtra, Gujarat. Hence CSR money is spent in those regions. CSR must be done in other regions of this country," he said.

"This bill fails to address the differences between various acts like the RBI act, and SEBI act. There are various discrepancies which must be addressed," Gupta said.

The bill will lead to conflict between two arms of the government. The removal of certain reasonable restriction will make money laundering easier," Gupta said. He said that the provision to give deposit security has been done away with, which is a serious problem.

Gupta also said that the government is trying to fit everyoe under a sigle law, while evidence from past points to the contrary. He said that small and medium enterprises continues to suffer and the Companies amendment bill has nothing to address that issue.

One size can't fit all, says Vivek Gupta in Rajya Sabha

Meanwhile in LS, Law Minister RS Prasad responds to objections and questions raised on repealment of archaic bills

The minister conceded that there is merits in decriminalizing Section 377 but there is opposition to it as well. There needs to be democratic consensus to repeal it. We need to debate, discuss and decide.

He also said that the bill allows same relaxations to SMEs as it does to big companies which "amounts to holding the country at ransom."

The CPM leader pointed out that the expenditure of CSR funds is not yet bounding on companies. He said that the Corporate Affairs Ministry merely accepts a mere explanation as to why money on CSR has not been spent.

Roy also demanded a white paper on the actual ground work done in his ministry.

He says that Gadkari used to be a vikas purush, but has now become a sapno ka saudagar (trader of dreams)." He said that whenever someone raises the point of funds, he says he will manage from foreign funds or here or there.

On a lighter note, however, Roy wondered why, Rudy, the speaker before him was removed from the cabinet, even though he is a splendid speaker.

"He is channeling money from one pocket to another pocket of his own ministry and we do not oppose it," Roy said. He said that since the money was being rerouted he will support the bill.

"Odisha coast canal should be included in the national waterways to give the state the benefit of the revolutionary transport network," Jena said.

Jena said that the state of Odisha has since-long been discriminated agaist by the central government. He requested Gadkari to formulate schemes to include the state in the development of transport networks.

Samajwadi Party's Naresh Aggarwal objected to the passage and debate on two bills in the same day, adding that it eats away the time of short duration discussions. After a brief exchange, Yadav only resumed his seat after being assured from the Treasury Benches that at least one short duration discussion will be held in the House.

IIM amendment bill proposes larger autonomy for management institutes and provisions to allow them to grant postgraduate degree rather than a diploma

In Lok Sabha, Dushyant Chautala raises point of depleting water resources as House debates increasing budget for development of waterways

The matter was raised by Bhartruhari Mahtab of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) during Zero Hour.

After Lok Sabha members on Tuesday expressed concern over the Brahmaputra river being polluted by China, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar assured the House that he will take up the issue at the "highest level" in the government.

He also brought up the problems faced by students passing from regional language schools.

Agrawal said he would support the bill only for the fact that at least there was some will to bring about the change. He, however, lamented the lack of similar reforms in other educational institutes such as IITs or other higher education institutes.

Naresh Agrawal says he supports IIM bill but questions lack of similar reforms in IITs, AICTE

Gadkari told the Lok Sabha that a river traffic control system was already functioning between Haldia and Patna. He added that work on 10 waterways will be completed by 2018.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, however, said the rural development ministry had advised the states and union territories to explore the possibilities of using consent-based Aadhaar authentication for registration of properties under the provisions of the Registration Act, 1908.

There was no proposal to make Aadhaar linkage mandatory for property transactions, Parliament was informed today.

Lok Sabha concludes proceedings for the day, to reconvene tomorrow at 11 am

Congress leader said that the government should describe how they plan the transition between the current boards at IIMs and the Board of Governors as proposed in the new bill. He also asked what would be the criteria for appointment of these governors.

Jairam Ramesh questions how board of directors will be appointed at IIMs after new bill

Times Now reports that the government may meet Opposition leaders in a bid to find an amiable solution to the deadlock that rose after Narendra Modi insinuated that Manmohan Singh and his colleagues met Pakistani delegation during elections.

The Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy Bill, 2017 will be tabled by Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the Rajya Sabha.The bill will make it an institution of national importance.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the old and many irrelevant pre-Independence laws were the "unfortunate part of the colonial legacy" and repealing them was a progressive move that reflects the "pro-reform" approach of the government.

The Lok Sabha also passed two Bills to repeal 245 obsolete and archaic laws, including the 158-year-old Calcutta Pilots Act of 1859 and the 1911 Prevention of Seditious Meeting Act.

The bill gives them powers to award degrees instead of postgraduate diplomas.

The Indian Institutes of Management Bill, 2017 — which was passed in the Lok Sabha in July this year — grants statutory powers to the IIMs in their running including the appointment of directors and faculty members.

The bill amended the companies law to strengthen corporate governance standards, initiate strict action against defaulting companies and help improve ease of doing business in the country.

The Rajya Sabha passed the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2017 by a voice vote. It was adopted by the Lok Sabha in July this year during the Monsoon Session.

"Now you are in the opposition and have a greater flexibility in changing your position," he said. He said the present government has persuaded the states to include petrol within the GST and the states reluctantly agreed to do so.

He also sought to know why the prices of petrol and diesel did not decline with a fall in the global crude prices. Jaitley responded saying that a person familiar with the issue had asked the question. He said the UPA in its draft GST bill had kept petrol out of its ambit as it knew that the issue would be a deal-breaker between the Centre and the states.

During the Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram sought to know the Union government's position on bringing petrol and diesel under the GST.

The Centre favours including petroleum products in the ambit of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) but it would want a consensus with the states before taking such a step, Finance minister Arun Jaitley said on Tuesday.

Day 3 of the Winter Session had some lively debate on GST

Opposition leaders come to well of the Rajya Sabha to protest against Modi's comment on Manmohan.

Venkaiah Naidu's plea to Congress MPs to go back to their seats fall on deaf ears.

Shrivastava said Veerendra Kumar, who was elected to the Upper House from Kerala last year with support from the Congress-led UDF, resigned "so that no one questions his integrity that he is aligning with (Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U President) Nitish Kumar".

The 80-year-old, also a Karala media baron, submitted his resignation to Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday morning, Arun Kumar Shrivastava, also a rebel JD-U leader, told IANS.

Disgruntled Janata Dal-United leader MP Veerendra Kumar on Wednesday resigned from the Rajya Sabha, days after rebel JD-U leaders Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar were disqualified from the Upper House.

"This is not the way," he said. "This is Parliament. This is Rajya Sabha. Wrong message is going." Stating that he did not appreciate their behaviour, Naidu said, "Please don't exceed limit. Please go to your seat."

Naidu asked them not to create obstruction and allow other members to raise important issues.

At this point, Congress members rushed to the Well of the House shouting slogans.

No sooner had the listed papers been tabled, Congress members were up on their feet demanding an explanation from the prime minister on his remarks against Singh. Naidu disallowed them.

Opposition Congress members today disrupted proceedings in the Rajya Sabha over the insinuations made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi against his predecessor Manmohan Singh.

However, the Congress MPs have again created a ruckus in the Rajya Sabha over Narendra Modi's comment against Manmohan Singh. Some of the MPs descended to the well of the House. The slogans of "Narendra Modi maafi maango" are being echoed in the House.

Meanwhile... sloganeering can be heard in the Lok Sabha too

The Lower House is currently being presided by Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai. The House is discussing the Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property Bill (Amendment), 2017. The bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha by Urban Development Hardeep Singh Puri.

Over 1,000 cases of people securing jobs using forged caste certificates have been reported by various central government departments, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday. The Department of Personnel and Training had in June sought data from all central government organisations regarding appointments made on the basis of fake caste certificates.- PTI

"There is no question of middle path...The country's prime minister has alleged that the former prime minister has taken steps against the country and that too with the enemy nation. Don't you think it is an issue that calls for an apology?" Chowdhury told reporters.- PTI

With Parliament witnessing repeated adjournments over Narendra Modi's remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh, Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury on Wednesday said that there was "no question of a middle path" on the matter till the prime minister apologised for his comments.

Provisions of this bill violate rights of people, whose land is being acquired: MK Premchandran, RSP

Bijoya Chakraborty of Guwahati BJP said this bill will immensely help tribal people

G Hari of AIADMK enlists benefits of bamboo, says hopes this would be taken into consideration while passing bill

BJD's Tathagata Satpathy objects to bill, says farmers will be affected by removal of bamboo from bill

More than two lakh Chinese tourists visited India in 2017, according to data provided by the tourism ministry in Parliament on Wednesday. The figures provided by Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons in the Rajya Sabha assume significance in the backdrop of India's recent standoff with China over the Doka La issue.- PTI

The farmer does not need our sympathy, they need less interference, says Tathagata Satpathy of BJD

"I had done research. We had sent researchers in Tripura, Nagaland., Sikkim. Problems found were mainly regulatory. One of the reasons of high cost is on the count of the fact that bamboo, the amount of rent-seeking behaviour is just too much. Therefore, as a first step, we need to take a holistic approach. The first step is to redefine bamboo (by removing it from tree category)," Rai said.

Rai demanded that the bamboo be unleashed from "all kinds of regulations". In 2014, He added that he had brought a similar bill on bamboo with a private members' bill in 2014.

"People of north Sikkim were completely cut-off because of Mantam lake which was created because of landslide. They then made a bamboo bridge and are now able to cross the lake on foot," Prem Das Rai said in Lok Sabha.

In India, one tonne bamboo costs Rs 10, 000 in some parts and Rs 10-15,000 in other parts

The legislation to amend the Indian Forest Act to exempt felling and transportation of bamboo grown in non-forest areas from the state permit, was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The Indian Forest (Amendment) Bill, 2017 — which would omit bamboos growing in non-forest areas from the definition of trees — was introduced by Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan even as BJD leader B Mahtab raised concerns and opposed the legislation.- PTI

Legislation to amend the Indian Forest Act to exempt felling and transportation of bamboo

Union environment minister Harshvardhan says soon people will be encouraged to take up bamboo cultivation

Vociferous sloganeering on Thursday disrupted Sachin Tendulkar's maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha since his nomination. Members of the Opposition shouted "BJP sharam karo" as sloganeering continued in the Upper House of Parliament on the fourth day. Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 11 am on Friday following stormy scenes on the floor of the House.

BJP MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe has given adjourned motion notice in Rajya Sabha under rule 267 on remarks of Congress leaders against PM Modi

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the bill which will double the salaries of judges of the Supreme Court and 24 high courts, reported The Indian Express . The High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill 2017 provides for increased salaries as recommended by the Seventh Pay Commission.

Discussion on natural calamities in the country with special reference to cyclone Ockhi in South India

In the Rajya Sabha, M Venkaiah Naidu read the obituary of legislator Jalaluddin Ansari and a minute's silence was observed. Question hour starts in Lok Sabha.

Business in the Rajya Sabha is proceeding fairly quietly while there is constant sloganeering in the Lok Sabha by the Opposition.

Raut raises the issue of the deaths in the Gorakhpur hospital. He asks for the Centre to keep a check on the funds which are given to the state governments for health issues. Anupriya Patel, MoS, Health and Family Welfare answers saying that the Centre does indeed monitor the funds and the MP could monitor those funds for their own constituency as well.

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien says Rajya Sabha TV should not be cut off when protests are taking place as that is one of the ways for the Opposition to express itself

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad asks for Rajya Sabha to be adjourned till the parties decide on the remarks issue outside Parliament

In the Rajya Sabha, the Opposition insists that it is better to adjourn the matter with it raising uproar. It asks the Rajya Sabha to be adjourned till 2 pm till when the issue is resolved.

Adjournment means no legislative business will take place in the Rajya Sabha over the next four days as well

It seems doubtful that Triple Talaq criminalisation bill will be discussed today

The issue of nurses' allowances has been raised. The concerned minister insists that most of the nurses' demands have been met and discussions are ongoing for the others.

In the revised list issued by the Lok Sabha, the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights of Marriage) Bill, 2017 was removed. In the original list , law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad was scheduled to introduce a bill to "protect the rights of married Muslim women and to prohibit divorce by pronouncing talaq by their husbands and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto".

He admits that enough warning was given but there is a need for specific alarm systems. "Modern technology is needed to help the people. Unfortunately there has been a lapse by the authorities in informing the people about the cyclone. I am not blaming anyone as this should not be a political issue," he said.

Professor Richard Hay, the nominated member from Kerala, talks about the ground situation in Kerala in the aftermath of Cyclone Ockhi

Richard Hay says he had visited the coastal area of Kerala and Kanyakumari himself. "The fisherfolk want homes, food, education and security. I am not getting this from the media. I have visited the people and have listened to them. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman had consoled those people," he said.

Mahtab talks about how unseasonal rain and cyclones cause great harm to crops and farmers as well. He says the infrastructure needs to rebuilt after these calamities.

"Once the deadlock in the Parliament is resolved, we will raise the issue of Jadhav in Parliament. What has happened to Jadhav's family in Pakistan is inhuman. We will demand a discussion on this issue in the House and will ask the Centre and the international community to ask an explanation from Pakistan on this matter."

The Opposition, led by the Congress, plans to corner the central government in Parliament over the issue of Kulbhushan Jadhav, a report on India Today said. Congress leader Pramod Tewari was quoted as saying the party wants the government to clear its policy on how it plans to bring Kulbhushan Jadhav back from Pakistan.

Trinamool joins Opposition Congress party in demanding a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs over the Kulbhushan Jadhav's meeting with his wife and mother in Pakistan.

Any view that Narendra Modi meant to insult Manmohan Singh or other leaders during election speeches is erroneous and uncalled for, Arun Jaitley says

I,on behalf of Congress, say that we disassociate from any comments that may have hurt prime minister's dignity, says GN Azad of the Congress

Soon after the Lok Sabha resumed, Congress MP's started waving placards at the Treasury benches. They were protesting against Anant Kumar Hegde's comments on Constitution.

Amid controversy over Naresh Agrawal's comment, the SP MP has written to Rajya Sabha chairman over the alleged ill-tretment of Indian prisoners in Pakistan. He also alleged that the government was not doing anything about it.

AITMC MP Saugata Roy requested the Speaker to not pass bills while the House is not in order. He also said that the Speaker must pull up Union minister Anantkumar Hegde for insulting the makers of Constitution. He also added that he would not voice his opinions in the House as a mark of protest. Lok Sabha Chairman, however, dismissed the request and added that the House cannot be adjourned every day.

From the Opposition, CPM MP Mohd. Saleem stood up to respond but refused to speak during the din. He again brought up the comments made by Hegde, but the Speaker refused to take those remarks on record.

Discussion about unauthorised colonies in Delhi is underway in Lok Sabha. BJP’s Ramesh Vidhudi has alleged that the Congress party has left the issue hanging for years.

The Speaker took strong objection to the use of words and expunged the comments from record. She also added that nobody knows for certain what the minister had said, and since he was not present in House, the House's time should not be wasted on the issue.

Reacting to Anantkumar Hegde's comments on secularists and the Constitution, senior Congress MP Malliakrjun Kharge attributed these words to Hegde: Those who label themselves secularists, they neither have mothers nor fathers, their blood line is not know. Kharge then asked that whether the minister was calling secularists Ba*****.

"I just want to say that Modi ji and our Govt are committed to the constitution of India and ideals of Baba Saheb Ambedkar: Ananth Kumar," Parliamentary Affairs Minister in Lok Sabha on Opposition uproar over Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegde's remark.

In a reply to a question from Satyapal Singh, Minister of State for Human Resource Development (Higher Education), Rajan Gohain, MoS, Railways said in Lok Sabha that patients suffering from arthritis can book a berth of their choice (lower berth in this case) on first come-first serve basis.

The railways today said it had no quota for patients suffering from arthritis and no plans of offering any concession in passenger fare for them as it was already losing revenue over the discounts granted in over 50 categories.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said he will convey their demand to the Law Minister. Later, Law Minister Ravi Dhankar Prasad said he will give a statement on the issue tomorrow. At present, the Andhra Pradesh High Court is the common High Court for both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The TRS MPs also trooped into the Well of the House, showing placards and raising slogans demanding setting up of a High Court for Telangana.

Members of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) disrupted proceedings in the Lok Sabha demanding immediate setting up of a High Court for Telangana. Raising the issue, TRS parliamentarian AP Jithender Reddy said the Centre is yet to set up a High Court for Telangana even three years after the formation of the state.

The approved strength of the Supreme Court is 31, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI).

There are six vacancies of judges in the Supreme Court, while nine high courts are working without regular chief justices, but the government has not received any proposal from the apex court collegium to fill up the slots, the Rajya Sabha has been informed. Union Minister of State for Law P P Chaudhary, in a written reply, has informed the Upper House of Parliament that the "government has not received any proposal for filling up of the six vacancies of judges in the Supreme Court and for appointment of chief justices in the nine high courts, which are functioning with acting chief justices".

'Govt yet to receive proposal to fill up judges' vacancies in SC'

Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said if the Bill is not passed, it will lead to "unprecedented chaos" in the national capital. The legislation will give cover against punitive action on "as is where is basis" until December 2020, he said.

The Lok Sabha today passed a bill to protect slums and unauthorised colonies in the national capital region from punitive action till a framework for orderly arrangements are in place. The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill gives immunity to slums and some unauthorised constructions till 31 December, 2020. The immunity under the existing Bill ends on 31 December.

Rajya Sabha extends time until The Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy Bill, 2017 is passed

"Many members have expressed concerns over the autonomy of the institute. I would like to assure them in this House today that it is our government's intention to make the institute fully autonomous. However, we cannot expect it to turn into a JNU, or DU from day 1. In the initial phases, there will be some hand holding but later on it will be completely autonomous.," Pradhan said.

The authorities were ascertaining whether the "metallic object" in the shoes was a camera or a recording chip, Pakistan Today quoted Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mohammad Faisal as saying.

Pakistani authorities have sent the shoes worn by Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife for forensic examination to determine the nature of the suspected presence of a foreign object, a media report said on Wednesday.

"There was something in the shoe. It is being investigated. We gave her a pair of replacement shoes. All her jewellery et cetera were returned after the meeting," Faisal said.

In the statement, Pakistan had rejected as "baseless" India's contentions that Jadhav's wife and mother were harassed and claimed that his wife's shoes were confiscated on security grounds as there was "something" in it.

"This included removal of mangal sutra, bangles, and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security," it said.

India also accused Pakistan of disregarding cultural and religious sensibilities of family members under the pretext of security.

The external affairs ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that Pakistan went so far as to have the mangal sutra, bangles, and bindi of Jadhav's mother and wife removed before they could meet him.

The diplomatic strain over Jadhav's meeting with his family grabbed headlines not just in India, but also in Pakistan. Almost all major Pakistani newspapers gave prominence to the issue and carried reports of the Foreign Office issuing statement after India claimed that Jadhav's responses were "clearly tutoured" that the alleged spy was "under duress" during the meeting.

The editorial lauds the Pakistan government's attempts to do what was "necessary in the international scheme of things" and "ignoring the deafening cacophony to do what was necessary."

The Nation commented on the "cacophony of opinions" circling the issue. The piece in The Nation took a more balanced view of the issue at hand and wrote, "Ultimately however, these are all irreconcilable opinions and each can be considered “correct” if viewed from their subjective angle."

"We are even more depressed now than we were before the visit," a relative of Kulbhushan Jadhav told news agency PTI. The family refrained from commenting further as it is an international issue. "If we speak something about it, that may hamper the process," he said.

Various political parties, including the Shiv Sena, Trinamool Congress and AIADMK, strongly protested how Pakistan treated the wife and mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former navy officer sentenced to death in Pakistan. The episode drew outrage on social media as well.

Jadhav's mother and wife were also harassed and subjected to outrageous questions by Pakistani journalists after they were forced to wait for their car. The family faced questions hurled at them like - "Aapke patidev ne hazaron begunah Pakistaniyo ke khoon se Holi kheli ispar kya kahengi? (your husband killed thousands of innocent Pakistanis, what do you have to say about that?)'" and "Aapke kya jazbaat hain apne kaatil bete se milne ke baad? (How do you feel after meeting your killer son?)".

According to CNN-News18, the BJP has issued a whip to all its MPs to attend today's proceedings in Parliament. The Lok Sabha will be discussing the triple talaq bill today.

The Indian National Congress is celebrating its 133rd foundation day today. It is for the first time that Rahul Gandhi will be steering an event as the president of the party.

Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal hit back at the Congress, saying she does not know to what level theopposition party can fall, if it could not come together on the issue of treatment of women by a "terrorist" country which always worked towards harming India.

Senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily on Wednesday hit out at the government, accusing it of "diplomatic failure", after Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife were harassed by the Pakistani side during their meeting with the Indian national in Islamabad.

We will get some relief because of new law, says a victim

The bill, prepared by an inter-ministerial group headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, makes instant triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat in any form – spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp – "illegal and void" and provides for a jail term of three years for the husband.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill is listed for introduction in the Lok Sabha by Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on 28 December, according to the list of business in the Lower House.

The bill will increase the salaries of the Chief Justice of India, other judges of the Supreme Court, chief justices of the high courts as well as other judges of high courts by over 2 times.

Later, Prasad will table The High Court And The Supreme Court Judges (Salaries And Conditions Of Service) Amendment Bill, 2017.

Bills to be tabled in Lok Sabha apart from triple talaq

He was of the view that Pakistan "did not do any good for itself" by its handling of the meeting while showcasing to the world its gesture, a statement issued by the Vice President's Secretariat said.

Referring to the restrictions, Naidu said the move to ask Jadhav's wife take off her 'mangal sutra' has not got down well with the people of India.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu termed as "inhuman" the restrictions imposed by Pakistan during Kulbhushan Jadhav's meeting with his wife and mother in Islamabad, saying it has hurt the sentiments of Indians.

Sources told CNN-News18 that Pakistan will share the report on Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife Chetnakul's slipper with India. Pakistan had taken the slipper away suspecting a metallic object to be in it.

This day will be more significant in Muslim women's life than Eid or Bakrid, says victim

Congress sources tell CNN-News18 is that the party will be supporting the anti-triple talaq bill. However, the party is apprehensive of the criminality clause in the law, adding that the three-year jail for the divorce is arbitrary and Draconian.

Three days after his controversial statement over the word 'secularism' in the Constitution, Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde has said the Constitution of India is supreme for him.

"I can never go against the Constitution as a citizen. It is Supreme for me," says Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde. However, Mallikarjuna Kharge interrupts and says that Hegde has insulted Babasaheb Ambedkar.

"We fear that if we speak a lot here, then there will be a danger to the life of Jadhav. but we know that the Pakistani Army does not believes in democracy. It does not know how to behave with prisoners who have been implicated in false case. What they did with Jadhav's wife and mother is condemnable. We may have political differences but on this issue we stand with the government," the LoP in Rajya Sabha said.

"I spoke to the family of Kulbhushan Jadhav over the phone. She said that he was speaking under duress. He was telling whatever he was being tutored. He did not look healthy too. I hope people all Members of Parliament as well as the common man will denounce the behaviour of Paksitan," Sushma Swaraj said while concluding her statement.

In a rare sense of unity, all parties in the Rajya Sabha have denounced the manner in which Jadhav's family was treated in Pakistan.

"It was nothing like a humanitarian gesture. Human rights of the family members were violated again & again & an environment of fear was created for them," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said in Rajya Sabha

"Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother was not allowed to speak in Marathi. Two Pakistani officials present in the meeting kept stopping her repeatedly but when she continued, the intercom was switched off," Sushma Swaraj said in Rajya Sabha.

Jadhav's mother was not allow to speak in Marathi

Union Minister Ramdas Athavale gives a poetic statement to back Sushma Swaraj's statement, "Kulbhushan ki khatre mey hai jaan, Hua hai unke maata pita ka apmaan". He also thanked the Congress for supporting the government.

Rahul had twisted Jaitley's name as "Jaitlie" in his tweet.

The Rajya Sabha adjourned till 12 pm after Congress raises objections over Hegde's comments on the Constitution.

After harassing his mother and wife, Pakistan media now claims that Kulbhushan Jadhav "confessed" to being an "Indian spy" during the trio's recent meeting. Pakistan's Geo News claims that the mother immediately chided Jadhav and asked him to speak the truth. The mother and wife, after the meeting, have repeatedly reiterated that the former Navy officer was being forced to toe Pakistan's narrative.

The Congress party is continuing to create a ruckus in the Rajya Sabha over Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde's comments against the Constitution. The Congress MPs are demanding a point of order in Question Hour. However, Chariman Venkaiah Naidu refused to allow it.

The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned within five minutes after being reconvened. The Upper House has been adjourned till 2 pm.

"In April 2017, I had said that the death sentence was given in illegal manner. We were in constant touch with the family. We were helping them connect with Jadhav. The Pakistan government allowed a meeting in December. It is unfortunate that the meeting could have been a path-breaking event but Pakistan used it as a propaganda tool,"

Not returning the shoes was an act of cruelty, says Swaraj

Opposing the bill over the criminalisation of the Islamic practice, Owaisi said that the law will be injustice to Muslim woman and lead to the abandonment of Muslim woman.

Toeing the Opposition's line, the Biju Janata Dal said that the bill has fundamental flaws in it.

"This is a hisotric day for India. This law is not linked to any religion, it is about the honour of women. The SC outlawed talaq e biddat But still goes on. Injustice is still going on. However, I ask whether the Parliament will still be silent? The parliament has to decide whether the Muslim women have any rights. Triple talaq still goes on. We are bringing a law finally. People say that it is against basic structure of the Constitution but isn't the honour of women important?" asked Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Triple talaq bill is for the honour of women, says RS Prasad

Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge says that the party does not support the triple talaq bill as ruckus breaks out in the Lower House over the bill.

On Thursday morning, in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur district, a woman was divorced through instant triple talaq for waking her husband up late in the morning. The husband left his home after divorcing her and is untraceable as of yet.

The triple talaq bill will be put to vote and passed in the Lok Sabha today itself, announced Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

Pakistan Foreign Office is set to hold a press conference at 5:30 pm IST. The dept will be responding to India’s claims that #KulbhushanJadhav’s family was mistreated. Pak FO will also clarify its stand on taking away Jadhav’s wife’s shoes and not returning them.

While the discussion and voting over the triple talaq bill will take place after 2 pm, the Lok Sabha is currently conducting Zero Hour.

Speaking during the Zero Hour, West Bengal Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary said, "Maldives media has been showing Narendra Modi as anti-Muslim. Now, China through its OBOR plan is entering the periphery of our neighbouring countries. I believe that our neighbourhood policy needs to be reoriented."

"Congress supports the Supreme Court's judgment. Triple talaq should definitely go but as far as the bill is concerned, it will be scrutinised by the Parliamentary committee. If there are difficulties in the provisions that will be dealt with. Congress is definitely supporting triple talaq bill but the provisions will be scrutinised," says Manish Tiwari to CNN-News18.

Now, Pakistani authorities are talking of chip, camera or a recorder being installed in the shoes, she said. The charge is "absurbity beyond measure," she said, adding that the two women had cleared security at airports in Delhi and Dubai and in Pakistan and no such device was detected during these thorough airport security checks there.

"The Pakistan authorities have been cautioned against any mischievous intent in this regard through a Note Verbale yesterday," PTI quoted her as saying.

After the meeting, Pakistani authorities also did not return the shoes of Jadhav's wife despite repeated requests. Swaraj said not returning the shoes has given rise to suspicion that Pakistan was up to some "mischief".

This money will be spent on the affected people and areas, Tomar said while replying to a question during the Question Hour.

Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar told the Lok Sabha that district mineral foundations, which were created after the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act came into being, have received Rs 13,398 crore and Rs 2,260 crore have been spent so far in developing local areas.

A new law, which has made it mandatory for spending of a part of revenue made from auctioning mines in developing the areas they are located in, has resulted in improved living conditions of people in these regions, government claimed today.

It takes time to set up separate high courts after bifurcation of states. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana need to sort out the issue with mutual consent, law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. Responding to the questions related to the bifurication issues, Home Minister Rajnath Singh added that governments of both states need to work together to resolve the issue.

However, the Chair urges Congress MP BK Hariprasad to express regret for defying Chairman of the House.

With the GST bill being declared a money bill, SP's Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Agrawal cries foul, saying that if every bill passed in the Lok Sabha is declared a money bill, then what will be the utility of the Upper House. To this, PJ Kurien, the deputy chairman of the House , taunted that the Samajwadi MP can amend the Constitution if he wants to.

If every bill is money bill, then what is the use of Rajya Sabha? asks Naresh Agrawal

"Nobody wants anyone to become unemployed. We don't want Air India to go the Kingfisher (Airlines) way. We want the Air India to serve the nation, to serve the people and fly high," he said during the Question Hour.

The government does not want anyone working in Air India to lose job, Raju said in the Lok Sabha, adding that the disinvestment process of the national carrier has been initiated.

The government does not want Air India to become defunct like the Kingfisher Airlines, promoted by embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya, and wants it to serve the nation, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said today.

Given the circumstances detailed above, it seems naive at best — and delusional at worst — not to have expected the very worst from Pakistani hospitality in this situation, because it's clear that Islamabad expected the worst from New Delhi. Ultimately, Pakistan treated the family of someone it accuses of spying on it (and being involved in the deaths of many of its citizens) in a very predictable manner.

By March 2019, all homes in the country will be provided uninterrupted 24-hour power supply throughout the year, Power Minister R K Singh said today. Singh said by December 2018, 1,694 villages, which are yet to be electrified, will have electricity connection and works in this regard has been going on. All homes will get 24-hour power by March 2019, he said during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, calling it a "historic day" amid opposition to its introduction by members of different parties, including RJD, AIMIM, BJD and All India Muslim League.

A bill to make instant triple talaq illegal and void and awarding a jail term of three years for the husband, was introduced in the Lok Sabha today.

Bill on National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special provisions) Second Amendment Bill 2017 has been tabled in Rajya Sabha. The Lok Sabha had passed the bill on Wednesday.

The immunity under the exisiting Bill ends on 31 December. Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said if the Bill is not passed, it will lead to "unprecedented chaos" in the national capital.

The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill gives immunity to slums and some unauthorised constructions till 31 December, 2020.

On Wednesday, Lok Sabha had passed the bill to protect slums and unauthorised colonies in the national capital region from punitive action till a framework for orderly arrangements are in place.

What will The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill do?

"Countries like Eqypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh have regulated triple talaq. The Islamic countries have regulated triple talaq. They have said you can't say talaq in one sitting. The big question that I want to raise is that Islamic. India is a secular country. If here the women are facing abuse, we need to take a decision," said Prasad.

"We hoped that the condition would improve after the Supreme Court's decision," said law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Prasad, who is also the IT minister, further added: "I had gone to Patna. I witnessed burqa-clad women were learning IT. On one side, we are hailing digital India and on the other side there is 'talaq, talaq, talaq'". Lok Sabha is India's biggest panchayat. I appeal, firstly, that this bill not be seen as a succession bill. Secondly, don't tie it under caste aspect,and, thirdly, don't tie it with religion. Fourthly, don't view it under vote bank."

"The issue is not of faith, or puja but it is simply of gender justice, equality," said law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

INC leader Sushmita Dev said, "When the Supreme Court's judgment came Congress had a press meet. We welcomed the Supreme Court judgment. When the Supreme Court requested the Parliament to legislate on it, in a technical term, I'd say it was a minority judgment. The bill seeks to amend a critical law. We have seen historically that talaq is a unilateral act. Since 1939, women have been approaching court. However, the reality is, that this is a practice that is prevalent till today."

INC leader Sushmita Dev said in Lok Sabha: "Everybody wants social reforms. It is not just an idea, it is a right. I want to ask Ravi Shankar Prasad, will we see the women's reservation bill coming to the Parliament. It is not just the representation of women, if you would have allowed more women in the Parliament, a legislation like this, full of lacunae, wouldn't have seen the light of the day in this House."

Lekhi went on to call the practice of instantaneous divorce as "a joke on marriage". "This is practice over Whatsapp, email, text message. When you get married, you take the society along with you," she said

Lekhi said that the laws of the Hindus and the Christians have been modified such that customary practices do not interfere with the rights of women. “Women are the biggest minority in this country,” Lekhi said.

"The bill is not a ramvan to end all miseries. The practice of triple talaq needs to be discouraged. Supreme Court has said it is an arbitrary practice. Many people think women are commodities and that needs to be stopped," she further said.

"Why didn't UPA end medieval laws," BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi asked in Lok Sabha as the Lower House discussed the bill on triple talaq.

"Our opposition is about the way you intend to apply this bill. This bill is definitely not an initiative of this government. We always pass bills but we always seem to forget the implementation aspect and that is where things are going wrong in this country. Despite the AIMPLB saying that no such acts will happen, 100 plus annulments happened after the Supreme Court judgment."

In Lok Sabha, Biju Janata Dal leader Tathagata Satpathy said: " This is about more than a decade that I have been noticing, we have only been passing economy-related bill. This (bill on triple talaq) is one of the socially relevant bill that the govt has found time for. The Opposition is very focussed. We are opposing the way it is being introduced.

He added: "Bringing in criminality angle. When we are talking about introducing criminality into divorce, this is a civil matter. I am talking of the poorest of the poor. They see law in different angles. When there is compulsion by law that either you live together or go to prison, there could be happenings that are beyond the control of the government functionaries."

In Lok Sabha, BJD leader Tathagata Satpathy criticised the government for delaying taking up the issue of triple talaq. "The government is so focussed on discussing whether bamboo is a grass or a tree to did not feel it necessary to bring forth an ordinance in this particular case. The game is somewhere else," he said.

Sampath further criticised the Standing Committee for not involving women's organisations before the bill was tabled. "None of the women's organisation were consulted. We think we know what women want. We dictate and they have to receive. We make rules and they have to accept," he said.

CPM leader A Sampath said in Lok Sabha:" My party has made its stand very clear. This bill is a transgression of the civil side and the criminal side. Marriage, succession, inheritance, adoption, dissolution of marriage is on the civil side. What type of criminal remedy can be attached to it? Supreme Court called the practice illegal. Here we have issues of equality also come into the fore."

YSRC leader Varaprasad Rao Velagapalli said: "By putting extra (efforts to criminalise Muslim men), we are dealing the case in diverse manner for Hindus and Muslims. The punishment of 3 years should be taken back. I wish that government should have taken advice of state government.. I think this is the high time. The government is shedding extra tears for Muslim women"

NCP leader Supriya Sule claimed that the bill on triple talaq did not help married Muslim couples reconcile. She said: "Marriages can be reworked. when you put a father in court. He could be a bad husband, but he could also be a wonderful father. Are we here to break marriages or to reconcile? This nation needs legislation from the heart. The personal touch with so much digitisation has just gone."

SP leader Dharmendra Yadav said that the Centre should involve the state government while making the triple talaq bill into a law. He further criticised the three-year jail term suggested for offenders in the bill.

ET Muhammed Basheer said that of the population of Muslims in the country, triple talaq cases were negligible. "You are unnecessarily taking gun to kill the mosquito. You have jeopardised the sanctity of the House," he said.

RSP leader NK Premchandran said: "​The main apprehension is the over enthusiasm of the NDA government led by the BJP. There is a cloud of suspicion. Triple talaq is already declared by Supreme Court as null and void. It has become the law of the land. Then the question is what is the need of further legislation?"

Owaisi alleged that the Centre was giving an advantage to the offenders and was not helping the situation. "Your dream of having more Muslims in jail will be achieved. Please send the bill to the Standing Committee. You are forcing a Muslim woman to file an FIR against her husband. You are giving a handle to the Muslim man, who will have 90 days. If you are true to your intentions, create a corpus of 1000 cr," he said.

"The Union law minister has failed to discriminate between civil law and criminal law. Not a single Muslim country has a penal provision. Triple talaq is a verbal and emotional abuse," Asaduddin Owaisi said.

Lashing out at the concerns over the criminal aspect of the offense, Prasad said," We have left the decision of jail term on the magistrate."

Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said: "We did not mislead the House. Supreme Court said that triple talaq is wrong. The law has not been made in haste. We are viewing this with the prism of humanity, not politics."

Speaking to India Today, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that he understood the concerns of victims of triple talaq. "I have to maintain a balance between the law and your(victims') concerns. I hope that Congress support the bill in Rajya Sabha the same way it has in Lok Sabha," he said.

"Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad while tabling the bill also quoted the board and a lady MP of the ruling party tried to answer the queries raised by the Board in a letter to the prime minister proving that the government recognises the board. So the board should have been taken into confidence," Nomani said

The Shia Waqf Board, meanwhile, called for making the punishment to those indulging in 'triple talaq' more stringent. "We will take whatever steps required through democratic means to amend, improve or scrap it. There is no move to go to court as of now...The bill was brought in a haste," AIMPLB spokesperson Maulana Khalil-ur-Rehman Sajjad Nomani said. He said the board should have been taken into confidence on the issue.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) expressed serious reservations over the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill which was passed by the Lok Sabha and said it will take steps through democratic means to "amend, improve or scrap" it.

Will take steps through democratic means to 'amend, improve or scrap' triple talaq bill: AIMPLB

He claimed that the Muslim women celebrating the bill "did not know the law" and hoped that the Select Committee reject it in Rajya Sabha since the bill needs to be debated.

"Section 3 says triple talaq does not end marriage. The burden of proof will now be on the innocent women. What kind of justice is this that a non-Muslim gets 1 year but Muslim will get 3 years," Asaduddin Owaisi told India Today.

BJP issues a whip to all its parliamentarians asking them to remain present in the Parliament between 2-4 January

NCP wants the Triple Talaq bill to be sent to select committee, DMK wants criminalisation clause removed

According to the sources, Leader of Opposition in the Upper House Ghulam Nabi Azad has convened a meeting of the leaders of his party (Congress) as well as other parties in his Parliament chamber tomorrow, before the bill is taken up.

The Congress would consult Opposition parties before finalising its stand on the contentious bill which proposed to ban instant triple talaq and make the practice a cognisable offence, party sources said on Monday.

NCP leader Majeed Memon says the party has already made it clear that it is entirely against criminalisation of triple talaq

Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu will chair a meeting in half-an-hour to discuss the triple talaq bill, reports News18 . MPs from both Congress and BJP will attend the meeting.

Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi says that the triple talaq bill will be passed in Rajya Sabha with constructive debate and discussion

The bill is an attempt to regulate the liquidation and insolvency of companies that file for bankruptcy. According to PRS legislature the bill prohibits certain persons from submitting a resolution plan in case of defaults. These include: (i) wilful defaulters, (ii) promoters or management of the company if it has an outstanding non-performing debt for over a year, and (iii) disqualified directors, among others. Further, it bars the sale of property of a defaulter to such persons during liquidation.

The National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, as it stands today, proposes to allow practitioners of alternative medicines, such as homeopathy and ayurveda, practice allopathy after completing a “bridge course”. However, the Centre has agreed to refer it to Parliamentary Standing Committee for closer scrutiny after the uproar over the bill.

The Indian Medical Association had called for suspending routine services today to protest against a bill that seeks to replace the Medical Council of India (MCI) with a new body.

"The Prime Minister has also been quiet on the issue. On the other hand, National Security Advisor (Ajit Doval) is meeting his Pakistani counterpart..." he said.

"Pakistan-sponsored terrorists attacked a CRPF camp, in which five of our jawans were martyred. The concern is that while on one hand, Army jawans sacrifice their lives, on the other hand, government does not appear serious about it. In the last three years, there have been so many incidents..." Scindia said.

Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia raised the issue during the Zero Hour and also mentioned Bharatiya Janata Party member Nepal Singh's comments, who reportedly said "those in the Army are bound to die".

The House also witnessed slogans against Pakistan being raised, as soon as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan entered the House, with some shouting 'Pakistan Murdabad'.

The attack on a training centre of the Central Reserve Police Force in Jammu and Kashmir was raised in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, with opposition leaders accusing the government of inaction.

He said there were 785 different types of cryptocurrencies operating worldwide.

"The government is examining the matter. A Committee under the chairmanship of the Economic Affairs Department Secretary is deliberating over all issues related to cryptocurrencies to propose specific actions to be taken... Instead of taking any knee-jerk action, let's wait for the report of this committee."

"One of the features of cryptocurrency is that there is lack of dependence on the state. It functions with a degree of anonymity. It operates within a virtual community which is created and enjoys the trust of that virtual community," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told the Rajya Sabha.

There is no mechanism to prevent the misuse of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin by terror groups and other anti-national elements, the government said on Tuesday, adding it was awaiting the report of an expert group on the subject.

The government has no plans to create a second capital in South India, the Lok Sabha was informed today. Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, while replying to a written question on whether the government has any proposal to create a second capital in South India (Hyderabad), said, "No".

The Congress had moved amendments to certain provisions of the bill in the Lok Sabha but did not press for a vote.

The Lok Sabha has already cleared the 'Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill and it is likely to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha tomorrow. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said that the government would like the Congress to maintain the stand it took in the Lok Sabha by not pressing for amendments.

The government today urged the Congress not to press for amendments to the triple talaq bill, which seeks to criminalise the practice of instant divorce among Muslims, when it comes up for consideration in the Rajya Sabha likely tomorrow.

The bonds, which would be valid for 15 days, will not carry the donor's name even though the purchaser would have to fulfil KYC norms at the bank, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in the Lok Sabha while announcing the contours of the scheme.

The electoral bonds, which are being pitched as an alternative to cash donations made to political parties, will be available at specified branches of State Bank of India (SBI) for 10 days each in months of January, April, July and October.

In a bid to clean election financing, the government on Tuesday outlined contours of the new electoral bonds that donors can buy from SBI and said receiving political parties can encash only through a designated bank account.

During the Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said the comments by the BJP MP reflected that the government was not serious about the lives of the armed forces personnel.

The Congress today demanded an unconditional apology from BJP MP Nepal Singh for his reported comments that army jawans should expect death because of the profession they are in.

The BJP held its parliamentary board meeting on Wednesday, whereby they discussed the triple talaq bill and the Constitution's 123rd amendment bill which will give constitutional status to the OBC commission.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till noon after a massive ruckus was caused over Dalit protests in Maharashtra.

"Whether it is in Gujarat, Una, Rajasthan, there is nothing but injustice wherever BJP is in power," Kharge said. "A Supreme Court judge should be appointed and he should inquire this. The prime minister should come to the House and make a statement. When such incidents are happening, he does nothing," he added.

"RSS is behind the Bhima-Koregaon violence," said Mallikarjun Kharge in Lok Sabha. Uproar erupted in the House as soon as Kharge made this statement.

Forcefully raising the issue in Lok Sabha during the Zero Hour, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge also trained his guns on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wondering why he was maintaining a studied silence on the issue. Read more here.

As several parts of Maharashtra continued to reel under caste violence, Congress on Wednesday accused the RSS and certain Hindutva outfits of triggering it and demanded a probe by a Supreme Court judge into the clashes.

Triple talaq practice is still continuing in some areas, says RS Prasad

TMC and Cong want the bill to be sent to the Select Committee for consideration. "We are not opposed to the bill, but we want the bill to be strengthened. We want it to be sent to the Select Committee," TMC leader said.

TMC, Congress want the bill to be sent to the Select Committee for consideration

The house is taken by surprise that a motion is suddenly moved, it has not been submitted a day before. The motion has to be given at least 24 hours in advance, says Arun Jaitley on Anand Sharma's notice.

House is taken by surprise, says Jaitley on Anand Sharma's notice

Jaitley referred to judgement of SC, I want to correct the record, says Kapil Sibal

Rajya Sabha adjourned for the fourth time till 11 am on Thursday as ruckus over triple talaq bill continued

We are all for this bill, it is a faulty bill. No womens ' groups, stakeholders were consulted, says TMC MP Derek O' Brien

He added: "If the other House has not scrutinised the bill, it is the constitutional duty of the Rajya Sabha to do that. The government doesn't want a debate on it, so it is wrong on the part of the Law Minister to say that we (Opposition) don't want to debate it."

"The government is playing politics in the name of triple talaq bill by selectively misquoting and misrepresenting even the Supreme Court Constitutional Bench judgement, which was done by Leader of Rajya Sabha (Arun Jaitley) today," Sharma said.

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Union Finance Minister have lied on the issue.

He added: "It is legally mandatory that all bills must go through a standing committee of Lok Sabha and if it doesn’t happen then such bill should be referred to select committee of the Rajya Sabha."

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters that the BJP does not believe in democracy. "The bills are generally referred to the select committee based on the ‘Sense of the House’ i.e majority. But, the government didn’t accept which once again proved that the BJP doesn’t believe in democracy, parliament, and parliamentary democracy," Azad said.

The government alleged that the Congress and other Opposition parties were trying to derail the bill by demanding it should be referred to a select committee, that too without giving a notice a day in advance.

The Congress said that the government was lying about the Opposition’s intentions on Triple Talaq Bill in Rajya Sabha.

BJP president Amit Shah is expected to make his maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha today if a bill for the amendments to the Goods and Services Tax law, which has been fiercely attacked by the Congress during last month's Gujarat elections, is taken up by House for debate and voting.

Amit Shah's maiden speech on GST could have a few pointers for Congress?

As BJP's chief strategist, Amit Shah, rises to speak from his front-row seat in Rajya Sabha on amending the law to allow for imposing compensation cess on intra-State and inter-State supply of goods and services on Thursday, a BJP leader told NDTV said the Congress should expect a stinging rebuttal to its election campaign.

Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Amendment Bill, 2017 Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013 Central Road Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2017 State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill, 2017 Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2016

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 High Court and The Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2017 Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-third Amendment) Bill, 2017 Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2017 Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2017 National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill, 2017

"We should not see the Bhima-Koregaon as a political issue. Rather than politicising the issue, we should try to control the situation and bring life back to normalcy. The state government will take strict action against the culprits," he said.

"Everyone must strive to end caste wars and conflicts. Those involved in the incident must be brought to hook," says Ramadas Athawale.

"Jignesh Mevani, Umar Khalid made inflammatory speeches leading to violence in Maharashtra. The Congress tries to connect every Dalit atrocity with Sangh. This too should be condemned like attacks against Dalits," says BJP MP Amar Shankar Sable in the Rajya Sabha amid protests from other members.

DMK MP Tiruchi Siva says following ban on firecrackers in Delhi, factories in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, have shut down causing deep economic hurt to businesses. "Fireworks is not the only reason for pollution. The work goes on throughout the year but the sales come up during Diwali," says Siva.

West Bengal MP Ritabrata Banerjee said the Centre should consider renaming West Bengal as Bangla. A resolution in the matter was already passed in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, he said in Rajya Sabha.

Flagging the issue of H-1B visas in the US under Donald Trump's administration, Congress MP from Karnataka Rajeev MV Gowda said, "More than 50% of H-1B visas issued goes to Indians. It is bad for US to engage in such a disruptive move. I urge the government to engage with their US counterparts as livelihoods of thousands of Indians is at risk."

Human Resources Development Minister Prakash Javadekar responds to questions on the education sector. When asked about the dropout rate, Javadekar said one of the reasons was the lack of toilets. “We constructed more toilets. Another reason was due to lack of quality training,” he said.

TMC MP Saugata Roy said the first draft of the NRC in Assam is a conspiracy to drive out Bengalis from Assam.

As protests erupted in Lok Sabha over the Assam National Registry of Citizens, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Assam NRC is being conducted under the Supreme Court's supervision. If somenone's names have been left out, they can register again. It cannot be deleted. It is not a conspiracy to drive out certain sections of the population. Such allegations are baseless."

Claims of Assam NRC driving out a certain section of population are baseless allegations: Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha

In Rajya Sabha, questions were raised on persons with disabilities and if there is a need for their Aadhaar identification since their fingerprints are almost always mismatched, according to The Indian Express .

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, BSP MP from Uttar Pradesh, Satish Chandra Misra says disabled persons need a place to stay apart from opportunities to come up in life.

Disabled persons needs place to stay apart from opportunities, says BSP MP Satish Chandra Misra

Most of the opposition parties, including the Congress, had supported the passage of the Bill in the lower house with some reservations. BJP’s absolute majority in the Lok Sabha helped the ruling dispensation in the easy passage of legislation. The statute when brought to the Rajya Sabha faced some stiff resistance on Wednesday when a collective opposition insisted on sending the Bill to the Select Committee of the House.

According to sources, Centre will try to hold a debate at 6 pm on the triple talaq bill before sending it to the Select Committee. The Bill, which criminalises instant divorce among Muslims with a three year penal provision, was passed by the Lok Sabha last week.

RSP MP from Kollam, NK Premachandran raised the issue of Chinese aggression on Indian borders after reports emerged of China's incursion for one kilometre into Indian border in Arunachal Pradesh. He called it an issue of national security and demanded the Centre's response to it. He also added it was important was as Chinese officials have openly stated China has never recognised Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory.

Chinese incursion for one kilometre into Arunachal Pradesh is matter of national security: RSP MP NK Premachandran

He asked the government to specify the national investment, debts, and other economic indicators. He claimed that both national investment rate, and national saving rate, which are indicators of financial wealth of citizens, have fallen. He also said that the ratio between GDP growth and debt was increasing.

Sharma said that Indian economy, contrary to the prime minister and finance minsters' claim, is not a galloping economy but a gasping economy. "None of the growth engine of the economy are running," Sharma said.

He said that the Commission will have members from the Opposition as well and it is more open and inclusive than the collegium system.

Shetty, while speaking on the discussion over The Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2017 touched upon the National Judiciary Appointment Commission.

Shetty said that the entire process of fighting a litigation has become so costly that justice will soon evade common man. He said that the advocates usually charge a fee every time even if the court just reschedules the date of hearing. He said that there should be a mechanism to regulate the fees charged by advocates.

Gopal Chinayya Shetty says there is a need to regulate advocates fees too

"I heard that an honourable member said that this government celebrates even slightest of improvements in numbers and metrics of economy like a little rainfall is cherished after a drought. It is right because the policy paralysis under the 10 years of UPA rule were akin to not just a drought but a misery. That's what they gave the nation in their 1o year's rule," Yadav.

"Justices Nariman and Lalit ruled that since triple talaq could not be construed as an essential religious practice, “the submission on behalf of the Muslim Personal Board that the ball must be bounced back to the legislature does not at all arise.” the article read.

The Supreme Court, in its judgment, held instant triple talaq unconstitutional and invalidated the practice. However, the final ruling by the majority judges catagorically mentioned that there was no need to pass the ball to the legilstaure's court, as this article in News18 points out.

Notwithstanding the Congress' remarks on metrics demonstrating the health of economy, Yadav said that the figures are merely a web to confound the common man, and mean little on the ground. He said that if the people in villages are getting enough to eat, earning enough to protect themselves in harsh winters, then the economy is good otherwise it is not.

Speaking during the discussion on state of Indian economy, Ram Gopal Yadav said that the elections are never fought on facts and figures or policy matters. They are won on slogans. However, the government must work for improving the state of economy.

Elections can be won on mere slogans, but please work in the interest of nation, Ram Gopal Yadav urges govt

Speaking on a bill to raise salaries of judges, BJP MP Tathagata Satpathy said that the judiciary needs several basic reforms. His suggestions included that advocates be allowed to advertise for their services, judges should have a system for automatic appraisal of salaries rather than the House debating each time they gate a pay hike. He also said that there was no reason that the judiciary was so reluctant to open itself to scrutiny. He said the provision for an TRI should be brought in.

Speaking in the Lok Sabaha, TRS MP Konda Vishveshwar Reddy said that the hike in the judge's salary has been long ovrdue. To reassert his point, the MP said that while advocate charge lakhs of rupees for every sitting, the judge earns only Rs. 90,000. "Even a mid-level executive earns more than a High Court judge. The Pakistan judges are paid more than 10 times of what we are paying here," he said.

Even Pakistan pays more salary to their judges than we do, says TRS MP Konda Vishveshwar Reddy

Now with just one more day remaining in the ongoing Winter Session, the fate of the controversial bill remains shrouded in suspense as the government virtually rejected an overwhelming demand on Thursday from the Opposition for referring it to a Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha for detailed consideration. The Opposition, on the other hand also refused to relent as Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the Bill was not fit to be passed as it as it would "finish off Muslim women" instead of "empowering them."

Various reports suggest that owing to the lack of numbers and consensus in the Rajya Sabha the ruling party will be forced to send the bill to a Select Committee of the House. And it would only be taken up again in the Budget Session in 2018.

Triple talaq could most likely be taken up again in 2018 Budget Session

According to News18 , MPs from Opposition parties have been told that both houses will be adjourned sine die (with no appointed date for resumption) post lunch.

Arun Jaitley says the agriculture sector needs support. "Both the central and state governemtns have been making efforts," says Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Lok Sabha.

"The Committee observes that the problems affecting the airlines are not personal; it is institutional. An institution like Indigo has to develop a consumer friendly approach in dealing with their passengers. The Committee believes that being a leader in market share, Indigo needs to look inward and find out the reasons for the discourteous attitude and rude and indifferent behavior of their employees, whether it is their cabin crew or the ground staff. The Committee emphasizes that the arrogant behavior of employees should stop."

Extract from the Parliamentary panel chaired by TMC MP Derek O'Brien on rude staff behaviour, especially IndiGo

Ram Vilas Paswan rose to withdraw the The Consumer Protection Bill, 2015. The Consumer Protection Bill and the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill have been introduced.

As per PRS Legislative , LS sat for 13 days, 61 hours with 78 percent productivity. Sixteen bills were introduced during this time in the Lok Sabha. Twelve bills were passed by the Lower House. Apart from this, 46 starred questions were answered orally during Question Hour.

As per PRS Legislative , LS sat for 13 days, 61 hours with 78 percent productivity. Sixteen bills were introduced during this time in the Lok Sabha. Twelve bills were passed by the Lower House. Apart from this, 46 starred questions were answered orally during Question Hour.

Congress MP Viplove Thakur asks if Narendra Modi's promise of paying 50 percent more than the MSP to the farmer is being fulfilled. Jairam Ramesh also asks how is the cost of production fixed for MSP, "What is the new system for fixing the cost of production?"

Jhama Das Badiya, CPM MP from Tripura says her luggage was stolen from Rajdhani Express. There are thousands like her who go through this with no security reinforcement.

Rajya Sabha erupts in laughter after BJP MP Sarojini Hembram says her luggage was also stolen on trains

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal replies that action against such oganised gangs will be taken and if any member has information about it, they should come forward and inform the ministry. The ministry is also trying to bring in a network of CCTV surveillance on trains and stations, Goyal informed the Rajya House.

The Parliament will meet on Monday as part of the Winter Session in the backdrop of BJP victories in Assembly election in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

The first day of the Winter Session of Parliament was marred by protests by Opposition demanding an explanation and apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "conspiracy with Pakistan" remark involving his predecessor Manmohan Singh.

The protests and the uproar that followed led to quick adjournments of the Rajya Sabha. While it saw an adjournment for 20 minutes till noon in the beginning after Opposition uproar over disqualification of rebel JD(U) leaders Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar Ansari, the second one was over the prime minister's remarks. After a third adjournment amid the chaos by Opposition, Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien adjourned the Upper House till 18 December.

Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha was adjourned on Friday after tributes were paid to late Trinamool Congress MP Sultan Ahmed, BJP MP Chand Nath and RJD MP Mohammed Taslimuddin. The Lower House will reconvene at 11 am on 18 December.

Before the adjournment, newly-elected Congress member from Gurdaspur Sunil Kumar Jakhar was administered the oath and Modi greeted him with folded hands. The prime minister also introduced new ministers to the House, including Piyush Goyal and Nirmala Sitharaman.

Before the proceedings began, Modi said he hoped the Winter Session of Parliament will be a productive one with constructive debates and innovative suggestions that will help resolve the country's problems.

The government is expected to table 25 pending bills and 14 new ones, including a bill providing Muslim women the right to seek maintenance in case of triple talaq, during the session which began on Friday.