Congress MP Sonia Gandhi and other Opposition leaders held a protest in front of the Gandhi statue on Parliament premises on Wednesday, demanding a discussion on the India-China faceoff at Tawang. During the Congress parliamentary party meet, Sonia Gandhi reportedly expressed concerns over the Chinese transgression. She said, "The government is being adamant and not holding a discussion on it" and asked, "why is the government not sending out a financial reply to Chinese transgression".
In the Lok Sabha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah issued a statement on the steps taken by the government to mitigate the issue of drug abuse in the country. Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman also issued a reply in the Rajya Sabha on CapEx and Postal Life Insurance (PLI) at 2 pm.
Meanwhile, in the Rajya Sabha, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will move the Anti-Maritime Piracy Bill, 2019, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday. The seeks to provide an effective legal instrument to combat piracy not only in territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) but also on the high seas.
The Winter session could conclude on December 23, News 18 reported quoting the parliamentary sources. The session is officially slated to conclude on December 29.
Thank you for joining our coverage of Parliament highlights. We will now wrap the blog. Good night, folks!
# A parliamentary panel has asked the Centre to ensure representation of other backward classes (OBCs) in the board of directors of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Canara Bank, noting that their top management body have no one from the community.
# Rajya Sabha passed the Maritime Anti-Piracy Bill-2022 which was moved for consideration and passage by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
# Rajya Sabha discuss Anti-Maritime Piracy Bill, 2019
# Nirmala Sitharaman: "Subsidies/freebies are to be contextualised. If you're able to put it in your budget and make a provision for it, when your revenues come and you give the money, why would anyone have an objection? Education, health, many subsidies given to farmers, are fully justified."
# Nirmala Sitharaman: It is important to recognise that when you are transparent in your methods, there is no debate over it (freebies). All we want is transparency and compliance with statutory fiscal rules... There are media reports that one state government is unable to timely pay the salary of its employees and the employees are protesting. It's perhaps because funds are being used to give numerous different advertisements all over the country."
# Nirmala Sitharaman: "When CapEx is undertaken by the government, PLI is being offered, when start-ups are created and given funds through fund of funds (FOF)... jobs are being created then. The Periodic Labour Force Survey shows unemployment numbers are gradually coming down."
# Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Rajya Sabha: "Private investment capex is happening in India because of favourable policies like PLI... We are keeping a good eye on inflation that is purely extraneous nowadays because of fuel and fertiliser prices."
# Amit Shah: "Borders are responsibility of the central government, but when we give rights to the BSF, it's said that rights of states are being taken. Now how will the BSF work there? The BSF seizes drugs but doesn't have right to file case. Those politicising this issue are promoting drug trafficking."
# "Drugs are coming from gulf countries, and people involved in it have been arrested while factories have been sealed. On the basis of this, raids were conducted in 12 states and people were arrested there too," said Union Home minister Amit Shah
# RJD MP Manoj Jha writes to Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar demanding an apology to all the people from Leader of the House & Union Minister Piyush Goyal, alleging that he said, "inka bas chale toh desh ko Bihar hi bana de"
# We can't win the fight against drug menace unless there's "cooperation, coordination and collaboration: Amit Shah.
# Amit Shah said states have given many cases related to narcotics to the NCB and the NIA. "The NCB can conduct probes across the country. The NCB is ready to help each and every state if there's a need to do an inter-state probe. Even the NIA can help the states if the probe needs to be conducted outside the country."
# Amit Shah: "Those who consume drugs are victims. We should be sympathetic towards them. There should be provisions for them in the law. But those who smuggle or sells drugs, at a small or large scale, must not be spared. If we don't do this, it will be unfair to the victim." We must create a social environment so that those who are victims are not discriminated or targeted, he said.
Our govt policy is very clear, those consuming drugs are victims, we should be sensitive towards them and give victims a conducive atmosphere for their rehabilitation. But those involved in drug trafficking should not be spared: Union Home min Amit Shah pic.twitter.com/3gK5rWbO6Q
— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2022
# Amit Shah said: "Drugs are being delivered via drones, they are smuggled, sent through tunnels and via airports. Shutting down the businesses is not a solution. We need to counter new techniques that people use to procure drugs."
# Amit Shah rules out entry of drug from Pakistan. He said we currently don't trade with Pakistan, therefore, there's no question that drugs are being delivered from there.
# Amit Shah's solution to India's drug menace: Entry of drugs have to be stopped; revenue department must work aggressively, anti-narcotics agencies have to work on the same page, social development department and health department must also work together; state and central governments have to work together
# Home Minister Amit Shah speaks in Lok Sabha: "The drug menace is a serious problem which is destroying generations. The profits being made from the drugs are utilised for terrorism as well."
# MoS Home Ajay Kumar Mishra in Rajy Sabha: "A total of Rs 157.49 crore was released to States & UTs under the Nirbhaya Fund scheme for setting up Women Help Desks (WHDs) in Police Stations. Funds sanctioned also cover any new police stations set up in States/UTs."
# Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 pm
# MoS Home Nityanand Rai to Rajya Sabha: "177 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFS) and Assam Rifles personnel sacrificed their lives in the line of duty during the last three years (2019-2021)."
# MoS MHA Nityanand Rai told the Rajya Sabha: "Pre-paid service is available and working in the UT of Ladakh. As on 30.11.2022, the details of mobile connections in Union Territory of Ladakh are as - total mobile connections:5,82,473; post-paid connections:2,71,829; pre-paid connections:3,10,644."
# BJP MP Manoj Tiwari speaks on drug menace in the country in the Lok Sabha
# Congress president M Kharge: "We demand that there be a discussion in House. The House should be given info on Chinese transgression so that people of the country can be informed of the same. If a discussion is not held & there is just a one-sided response, what meaning does that have?"
# Haryana BJP MP in Lok Sabha urged leaders to address those addicted to drugs as "drug victims" and not "drug addicts". She said that children are also addicted to drugs in many cases.
# Congress MP P Chidambaram: "We want a discussion on China, we aren't asking for military secrets. What gives China the courage to make incursions into India while our response is purely reactive? Why incursions aren't being prevented?"
Delhi | We just want to know what is the level of preparedness, what 16 rounds of talks with Chinese troops PLA achieved, what PM Modi said to Chinese Pres Xi in Bali, if he at all did so: Congress MP P Chidambaram pic.twitter.com/z4kU2Lcg2D
— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2022
# The Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 12 noon within minutes of the commencement of the proceedings of the House amid commotion by Opposition MPs.
# Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said: "The party and other Opposition parties have been asking for a discussion (on China). While we're all united in standing up for the nation and security of our country. We want the government to take us and people of India into confidence about what exactly they're seeing on border."
#WATCH | Cong MP Shashi Tharoor says, "No question of criticising Army. Question is about country's political leadership. Why won't they be doing their job or being politically accountable to the nation? Not calling the Army to explain,asking the political leadership to explain." https://t.co/VgL82MA357 pic.twitter.com/4eVAcntfUW
— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2022
# Congress MP Sonia Gandhi and other Opposition leaders protest in front of the Gandhi statue inside the Parliament premises, demanding a discussion on the India-China faceoff at Tawang
Delhi | Congress MP Sonia Gandhi and other Opposition leaders protest in front of the Gandhi statue inside the Parliament premises, demanding a discussion on the India-China faceoff at Tawang pic.twitter.com/yHzTizsEJS
— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2022
# Congress parliamentary party meeting begins at Central Hall in Parliament.
First Published: Dec 21, 2022 10:56 AM IST
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