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The Rules of the House do provide for such suspension when it becomes inevitable, he pointed out.
In his concluding remarks before Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die, eight days ahead of the schedule, Shri Naidu said while it was the right of the opposition to protest, but the question is how should it be done?

Pointing out that the floor of the august House was the most effective platform for contestation of ideas, he said that if boycott is done for a longer period, it amounts to leaving the very platform that enables members to effectively convey their ideas, besides contesting those of others.

Referring to the letter he had received from the Leader of Opposition, Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad and others urging the House not to pass the three labour codes, the Chairman said that there have been a number of precedents when the business was taken up as per schedule and bills were approved in the wake of boycott or walkout by some members. In this context, he cited the passage of Finance Bill and Appropriation Bill in 2013. Shri Naidu said that had the letter suggested the postponement of bill by stating that they would attend the House, he would have discussed the issue with the government. He said that there was no such assurance. On the other hand some of the members justified what they had done. Therefore he decided to go ahead with the bills, he said.

Observing that though the session was satisfying in terms of productivity, he said there have been some areas of concern as well. “We need to collectively ponder over these issues for making a difference in future”, he added.

The Chairman said that for the first time in this history of this august House, a notice of motion was given for the removal of the Deputy Chairman and it was rejected. He pointed out that the mandatory 14 days advance notice was not given.

Referring to the developments surrounding this unprecedented move, he said they have been deeply painful for all those who hold the stature and the dignity of this august House dear to their hearts. He appealed to the members to ensure that such unseemly behaviour was not repeated.

Though it was not the first time that some members were suspended and Bills passed when some sections of the House boycotted the proceedings, he said “I find it extremely unpalatable. This kind of a situation needs to be avoided by all means”.

Observing that he has been associated with the august House for the past 22 years, Shri Naidu said that he gets anguished whenever bills are passed in the din. “I am naturally more pained to see that happen as the Chairman of this august House. It hurts me the most when the Chair is rendered helpless by the turn of events and has to perforce take action against the members as per the Rules” the Chairman added.

The Chairman sought to remind the members that twice, in 1997 and 2012, the august House has resolved that all the members will uphold the dignity of the House by complying with the Rules and Procedures. He said that it was the responsibility of all members to ensure the smooth functioning of the House “so that we can fulfill our commitments to the people”.

Referring to the remarks of the Leader of the Opposition Shri Azad about lowering the standing of the LoP in the House, he said the Leader of the Opposition was central to the orderly functioning of the House. Shri Naidu said that he had always reached out to him for his inputs before coming to a decision on any issue concerning the functioning of the House.

Observing that the 252nd session of the Rajya Sabha was marked by several novel features induced by the outbreak of novel corona virus, he said the House had 10 sittings and functioned from six different locations including the chambers of both the Houses of Parliament and four galleries of this House, a first of its kind in the history of Rajya Sabha.

Stating that the Rajya Sabha was concluding 8 sittings ahead of the scheduled 18 sittings as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to challenge the humankind, he said “we are living in extra-ordinary times warranting several adjustments requiring us to live a new normal life”.

Giving a brief account of the session, he said during the 10 sittings, a total of 25 Bills were passed and six Bills introduced. The productivity of the House during this session has been 100.47%. The new normal of high productivity witnessed during the last three sessions has continued during this session as well. “As a result, the overall productivity of the last 4 sessions comes to a praiseworthy 96.13%”.

This high productivity for four consecutive sessions is the best during the last five years”, the Chairman added.

He said that written replies were given to a total of 1,567 unstarred Questions during the 10 sittings, while the members raised issues of urgent public importance through 92 Zero Hour and 66 Special Mentions. Besides, the members discussed important issues of the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, its consequences and management and the developments along the border in Ladakh.

Shri Naidu appreciated all the frontline warriors like the Doctors, Nurses, Para-medical staff, Sanitation workers, Scientists and farmers. He also expressed his gratitude to the police and armed forces for keeping the country safe.

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The suspended members continued their sit-in on the lawns of the parliament complex till about 11:30 AM after spending the night there in protest. They were suspended over Sunday’s unprecedented chaos and “unruly behaviour” in the Rajya Sabha when two controversial farm bills were passed. The Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman is at the heart of opposition protests; their no-confidence motion against him was rejected yesterday by Chairman Venkaiah Naidu.

A number of opposition parties led by the Congress staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha today, demanding that the suspension of eight members be revoked. The Congress was the first to walkout from the house along with members of the Aam Aadmi Party, Trinamool Congress and Left parties. Despite the opposition boycott, the Rajya Sabha proceeded with the debate on the third farm bill, chaired by the Deputy Chairman.

Mr Azad, the leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, spelt out three demands centred on ensuring that the minimum support price (MSP) is not weakened, and their “request” of revoking the suspension of the eight members. He demanded that the government brings a bill which should ensure private players don’t procure food grains below the MSP fixed by the government. The opposition also demanded for the MSP to be based on the recommendations of the MS Swaminathan committee report. Thirdly, the opposition demanded that the government or the Food Corporation Of India ensure that crops are procured from the farmers at the fixed minimum support price.

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh went to the protesting members with tea and served it in cups this morning on the lawns of the parliament complex. The suspended members rebuffed his “tea diplomacy”, calling him “anti-farmer”.

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“Last Friday I had got examined and was tested negative, hence attended the Parliament. But last night I had headache and mild fever, got examined and have tested positive for Covid-19,” he said in a tweet. “Operating under strict protocols and medication as advised by doctors. Those who interacted with me may please consult doctors.”

On Wednesday, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said he has tested positive for Covid-19 and has isolated himself. He also requested those who had come in contact with him to get tested.

“Yesterday, I was feeling weak and consulted my doctor. During the course of my check-up, I have been tested COVID-19 positive. I am at present doing well with the blessings and good wishes of all. I have isolated myself,” said the Union Minister of of Road Transport and Highways in a tweet, urging those who have come in contact with him to undergo tests.

Mediapersons authorised to cover the ongoing Monsoon Session must tale Rapid Antigen Tests for Covid-19 mandatorily and on a daily basis at the reception of the Parliament House. Testing at the reception will take place from 9am to 2pm. Officials of Parliament will also have to undergo mandatory testing.

BJP Rajya Sabha member Ashok Gasti, who was undergoing treatment for Covid-19 at a private hospital in Bengaluru, passed on late Thursday night. He had tested positive for coronavirus on September 2.

The hospital authorities where the first-time MP was being treated said Gasti was critically ill with multi-organ failure on life support system.

Several members of Parliament including Home Minister Amit Shah and RLP MP Hanuman Beniwal had tested positive for Covid-19.

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गुजरात में राज्यसभा की चार सीटों के लिए चुनाव की तारीख ज्यों-ज्यों निकट आती जा रही है, त्यों-त्यों विधायक पद से इस्तीफा देने की राजनीति और तेज होती जा रही है। बीते दिन कांग्रेस के दो विधायकों के इस्तीफा देने के बाद शुक्रवार को मोरबी के कांग्रेस के एक और विधायक ब्रिजेश मेरजा ने विधायक पद से इस्तीफा दे दिया। दो दिन में कांग्रेस के कुल तीन विधायकों ने विधानसभा के अध्यक्ष राजेन्द्र त्रिवेदी को अपना इस्तीफा सौंप दिया है। राज्यसभा के चार सदस्यों का चुनाव 19 जून को निर्धारित किया गया है। इसके लिए भाजपा ने तीन और कांग्रेस ने दो प्रत्याशियों को चुनाव मैदान में उतारा है।

राज्यसभा का चुनाव निकट आते ही भाजपा और कांग्रेस में चुनाव की राजनीति सरगर्मियां तेज होती जा रही हैं। ये दोनों पार्टियां अपने प्रत्याशियों को जीताने की राजनीतिक पैतरे बांजी में मशगूल हो गयी हैं। बीते दिन कांग्रेस के करणजण विधानसभा सीट से विधायक अक्षय पटेल और कपराड़ा सीट से कांग्रेस के विधायक जीतू चौधरी ने विधानसभा के अध्यक्ष राजेन्द्र त्रिवेदी को अपना इस्तीफा सौंप दिया था।

वहीं अब मोरबी के विधायक ब्रिजेश मेरजा के इस्तीफा देने के बाद कांग्रेस के विधायकों की संख्याबल 65 तक सीमित हो गयी है। विधानसभा के चुनाव में राज्य में कांग्रेस के 77 विधायक विजयी हुए थे। धीरे-धीरे इनकी संख्या 65 पर पहुंच गयी है। राजनीतिक हलकों में हो रही चर्चा और भाजपा के दावों के अनुसार कांग्रेस के कई और विधायक इस्तीफा के फिराक में हैं।

मध्यप्रदेश में सिंधिया की बगावत के बाद अब कांग्रेस विधायकों की संख्या कम हो गयी है. कांग्रेस ने दो उम्मीदवार दिये है फूल सिंह बरैया और दिग्विजय सिंह . कांग्रेस को निर्दलीयों का भरोसा है लेकिन कांग्रेस के कई विधायक चाहते है कि बरैया जीते सिंह नहीं . गुप्त मतदान में कुछ भी हो सकता है.

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Elections were to be held for 18 Upper House across seven assemblies — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and Gujarat — in the latest round of indirect elections for the 245-member council of states. Of the 55 seats that feel vacant, 37 members were elected unopposed.
The decision was taken at a meeting attended by election commissioners Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra.

“The situation because of Covid-19 mandates that we shouldn’t put MLAs in a congregation. The decision has been taken independently by the commission and will be up for review once the situation improves,” said a senior EC official who asked not to be named.

“We have decided to defer the polls as the situation is not conducive for them,” a second senior EC official told Hindustan Times. “We will review the decision after March 31,” he added.

The first official said that this round of elections will be conducted separately from the next round of Rajya Sabha polls due in June. “The two will not be clubbed together,” he said.

In a press release issued by ECI, it said the decision was being taken in view of the health risks posed by Covid-19.

“Commission has reviewed in detail the matter. The prevailing unforeseen situation of public health emergency indicates the need for avoidance of possibilities of gatherings of any nature, which expose all concerned to possible health hazard,” the release said.

“The poll process in the above said elections would necessarily include the gathering of polling officials, agents of political parties, support officials and members of respective Legislative Assemblies on the poll day, which may not be suitable in view of the prevailing unforeseen situation and related advisories in the country,” it added.

The Commission has invoked Article 153 of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951, under which the commission “for reasons which it considers sufficient, may extend the time for the completion of any election by making necessary amendments”. In accordance with its provisions, EC has “deferred the poll and extended the period of said election under the provisions of Section 153 of the Act”.

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All opposition parties except the Samajwadi Party walked out in protest in the middle of the oath.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad came to Justice Gogoi’s defence saying: “Rajya Sabha has a great tradition of many eminent persons coming from diverse fields, including former Chief Justices. Justice Gogoi who has taken oath today will surely contribute his best. It was grossly unfair to do that (Congress walkout).”

The chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, said there were established rules and precedents for the appointment and the opposition was not right to behave this way.

Justice Gogoi’s wife Rupanjali Gogoi, daughter, and son-in-law were present in parliament.

Justice Gogoi, who retired as the country’s top judge just four months ago, had defended taking up the role saying his presence in parliament will “be an opportunity to project the views of the judiciary before the legislative and vice versa”.

“I have accepted it since I have a strong conviction that the legislative and the judiciary must at some point of time work together for nation-building. My presence in parliament will be an opportunity to project the views of the judiciary before the legislature and vice versa,” he said on Tuesday.

Justice Gogoi was part of many landmark judgments, including the Ayodhya verdict in which the Supreme Court handed over the disputed site claimed by both Hindus and Muslims for a Ram temple and ordered a different site for a mosque.

The Congress calls Justice Gogoi’s appointment a “serious, unprecedented and unpardonable assault” on the basic structure of the Constitution.

“Our Constitution is based on separation of powers of the judiciary and the executive. The judiciary thrives on perception of aastha (belief) and vishwas (faith). But all of them have taken the beating,” said Congress’s Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

Former Supreme Court Justice Kurian Joseph has also criticised his former colleague, saying his decision would damage the confidence of the common man on the independence of the judiciary.

“‘We have discharged our debt to the nation’ was the statement made by Justice Ranjan Gogoi along with the three of us on January 12, 2018. I am surprised as to how Justice Ranjan Gogoi, who once exhibited such courage of conviction to uphold the independence of judiciary, has compromised the noble principles on the independence and impartiality of the judiciary,” said Justice Joseph.

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In a video clip, it can be seen how the police are trying to remove him from the spot as he resists being evicted.

“I’m a Rajya Sabha candidate from Madhya Pradesh, voting is scheduled for March 26. My MLAs have been kept here, they want to speak to me, their phones have been snatched, police are not letting me speak to them saying there is a security threat to MLAs,” said Digvijaya Singh.

The Madhya Pradesh leader, who arrived early this morning in the city, said he has been receiving messages from the families of the lawmakers who have been held “captive” in Bengaluru.

“We were expecting them to come back, but when we saw they’re being held back, messages came from their families,” the leader added.

He also alleged that there is police presence in every hotel room and the lawmakers are being followed at all hours.

The 22 Congress lawmakers from Madhya Pradesh in Bengaluru appeared before the media on Tuesday and said they were with BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia and had not been held captive. The MLAs said they were open to the idea of returning to their home state immediately if provided Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) security.

The Congress government’s problems began last week after 22 MLAs resigned from the assembly in the wake of former senior party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia joining the BJP. The speaker later accepted the resignations of six members, bringing the strength of the House to 222, with the majority mark at 112.

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बगावत तो सिंधिया ने की लेकिन धमकी राहुल बाबा कैंप की तरफ से दीपेन्द्र हुडडा ने दी तो उनको टिकट थमा दी गयी .ऐसे ही शक्ति सिंह गोहिल को गुजरात में एडजस्ट किया गया जबकि वो भारी मतों से चुनाव हारे थे .इतना ही नहीं महाराष्ट्र में तो लोकसभा चुनाव लडने से डरकर पीछे हटने वाले राजीव सातव को टिकट दे गयी .उधर सिंधिया को परेशान करने वाले दिग्विजय टिकट पा गये .

खुद राहुल गांधी ने भी मीडिया से माना कि वो कुछ जयादा कर नहीं पाये क्योकिं वो अब अध्यक्ष नहीं है . राहुल ने ये भी कहा कि सिंधिया का दिल तो उनके साथ है लेकिन सिंधिया ने किसी मजबूरी में कदम उठाया .एक तरीके से सिंधिया को क्लीन चिट हैं
इस संदेश को सबसे पहले ज्योतिरादित्य सिंधिया ने समझा और कांग्रेस को राम राम ठोककर वो बीजेपी ही चले गये . अंदर की कहानी ये है कि करीब पंद्रह दिन पहले ही सिंधिया ने राहुल से दिल्ली लंच पर मुलाकात की थी और दिग्विजय सिंह कैसे उनको परेशान कर रहे है पूरी बात बतायी थी . तब राहुल ने उनको सलाह दी थी कि सोनिया गांधी को बता दें क्योंकि वही अधयक्ष है .सिंधिया ने सोनिया गांधी से भी मुलाकात की थी लेकिन कोई ठोस भरोसा नहीं मिला तो खुद का रास्ता चुन लिया .

दरअसल सिंधिया को लगने लगा कि उनको इसलिए किनारे किया जा रहा है क्योंकि राहुल भी पर्दे के पीछे चले गये हैं . यही बात राजस्थान में सचिन पायलट को लग रही है तभी तो पहले सचिन ने एक व्यापारी को टिकट देने का विरोध किया तो अनुभवी गहलोत ने दलित कार्ड खेलते हुए युवा नीरज डांगी को टिकट दिला दिया जिससे राजस्थान में कई पुराने लोग नाराज हो गये .

जिनको सीट मिलना थी उनमें से कई लोग भी रह गये . राजस्थान प्रभारी अविनाश पांडे ने राजस्थान का चुनाव जितवाया और महाराष्ट्र में सरकार बनवायी लेकिन उनको कुछ नही मिला तो एनसीपी छोडकर कांग्रेस आये तारिक अनवर बिहार का चुनाव सामने होने पर भी कुछ ना पा सके ..यहां तक कि कई सहयोगी दलों ने कांग्रेस को खुले आम ठेंगा दिखा दिया . आरजेडी ने कांग्रेस की अपील ठुकरा दी तो एनसीपी ने भी कांग्रेस को दूसरी सीट नहीं दी . जाहिर है इन चुनावो के साथ ही कांग्रेस को सबसे पहले लीडरशिप का सवाल सुलझाना होगा वरना अबके चूके तो संभलना मुश्किल हो जायेगा.

                                                                       -संदीप सोनवलकर 

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Earlier Former Union Minister and four-time parliamentarian Jyotiraditya Scindia resigned from the Congress on Tuesday morning, shortly after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi.

He is expected to join the BJP sometime this week, days after criticising the party over violence in Delhi, and is likely to be rewarded with a Rajya Sabha seat and subsequently a berth in the union cabinet. Shortly after his exit, 21 Congress MLAs sent letters of resignation, sources within Madhya Pradesh Raj Bhavan said.

Earlier sources said 25 MLAs were ready to resign. Should these resignations be accepted, the 15-month-old Kamal Nath government will be reduced to a minority and likely be toppled. However, Mr Nath is confident his government will complete the five-year term. “There is nothing to worry about. We will prove our majority,” he said late on Tuesday night.

Scindia posted a resignation letter on his Twitter account dated 9 March, stating to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi that it was “time to move on” as the path for the same has been “drawing out over the last one year”. Scindia, three time Lok Sabha MP, played a key role in Madhya Pradesh elections in 2018 which the party won.

Scindia’s resignation happened in the backdrop of a section of party MLAs from Madhya Pradesh revolting against Nath. By late Tuesday evening, atleast 22 of them had tendered their resignation to Governor Lalji Tandon as well as to the assembly speaker.

Out of the total 230 assembly seats, two are currently vacant. In the event of the resignation of 22 rebel MLAs getting accepted, the actual voting strength (in case of a trust vote) will effectively come down to 206. The list of those who have resigned includes six ministers — Tulsi Silawat, Govind Singh Rajput, Prabhuram Choudhry, Imarti Devi, Pradyumna Singh Tomar and Mahendra Singh Sisodia.

BJP alone has 107 MLAs in the legislative assembly while the Congress’ original tally is 114. Congress draws support from draws support from four independents, two Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLAs, and one MLA from the Samajwadi Party (SP).

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