&w=3840&q=100)
Govt may push bills amid din if Opposition continues SIR protest: Rijiju
While the Lok Sabha saw little transaction of any listed business on Monday, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned as a mark of respect for its member and former Jharkhand chief minister Shibu Soren, who passed away this morning.
Rijiju insisted that the government wants a thorough discussion in Parliament over its bills but will be compelled to push for their passage from Tuesday in "national interest" as the proposed legislations are important for governance.
Hitting out at the opposition parties, he said that they had agreed to a two-day discussion over the National Sports Governance Bill and National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, both of which were scheduled to be taken up together for consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha on Monday, but they disrupted proceedings.
The Opposition has been insisting that the government agree to its demand for a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar before pushing its legislative agenda through Parliament.
The minister, however, made it clear that a debate on SIR cannot take place in Parliament as the exercise is part of the Election Commission's administrative action and functioning.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, he noted, had cited a ruling by former speaker Balram Jakhar, a late Congress veteran, that Parliament cannot discuss the functioning of a constitutional body like the EC.
Parliament can discuss electoral reforms but not the EC's functioning, he said, adding that the poll watchdog has carried out SIR earlier as well.
Except for a two-day discussion on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor in both the Houses, parliamentary proceedings have been all but a washout since the Monsoon session began on July 21 as the SIR exercise in Bihar has ignited vociferous protests from opposition parties.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
4 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Today in Politics: PM Modi to address NDA parliamentary party meeting; state mourning in Jharkhand after Shibu Soren's death
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a meeting of the BJP-led NDA's parliamentary party meeting. The NDA meeting comes just days before the filing of nominations for the Vice-President's election on August 7. After the Monsoon Session ends on August 21, the election will be held on September 9. The meeting comes in the middle of a session that has been all but a washout so far, except for a two-day discussion on the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor, due to a united Opposition's ceaseless protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar by the Election Commission. Modi is expected to speak on a host of current issues as the Opposition has been raising the heat over the poll body's alleged partisan conduct favouring the government, and the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. The meeting also comes amid rumours that the Centre may reinstate Jammu and Kashmir's statehood. Tuesday will mark six years since the abrogation of Article 370 with the J&K Congress observing it as a 'black day' and sitting on a dharna to press for the restoration of statehood. Meanwhile, the government is expected to push through some legislative business on Tuesday, amid the Opposition's continuing protests, said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. In the Lok Sabha, at least four Bills will be considered for passage – The Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024; The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024; The National Sports Governance Bill, 2025; and The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025. In the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to move a resolution for the continuation of President's Rule in Manipur for another six months with effect on August 13. The Lok Sabha has already passed this resolution. The Upper House will also consider for passage The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025. The mortal remains of veteran tribal leader and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) patriarch Shibu Soren reached state capital Ranchi on Monday evening, with thousands of people waiting outside the airport and lining the streets to pay their final respects to the former CM, affectionately known as Dishom Guru. Soren, 81, who was undergoing treatment at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi for over a month for kidney-related problems, passed away on Monday morning. On Tuesday, his body will be taken to his native village Nemra in Ramgarh district, where his last rites will be performed there, JMM sources said. Among those expected to attend the funeral is Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, whose Congress party is a state- and national-level ally of the JMM. Recommended reading | Pivotal figure in Jharkhand movement, Shibu Soren had a storied career with fleeting stints in power To coincide with the Karnataka Congress's protest over alleged vote theft, the state BJP chief B Y Vijayendra had announced their own protest against the Congress's 'anti-constitutional attitude'. While the Congress's protest, which was set to be led by Rahul Gandhi, has been postponed to August 8 on account of Shibu Soren's death, the BJP is now set to continue its protest in Bengaluru. Vijayendra alleged that the Congress was unable to 'digest Narendra Modi's leadership' at the Centre and that Gandhi was misguiding the people of Karnataka and India with his repeated allegations against the Election Commission. The Telangana Congress, meanwhile, is going ahead with its protest Presidential assent for the Backward Classes reservation bills passed by the state legislature. Party workers led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy are expected to participate in a three-day protest beginning on Tuesday. On Tuesday, party MPs will move an adjournment motion in Parliament to demand a debate on the BC quota Bills. On Wednesday, the CM, along with his Cabinet colleagues and other Congress leaders, will stage a dharna at Jantar Mantar. On Thursday, Reddy and other senior leaders will seek an appointment with President Droupadi Murmu to submit a memorandum regarding the pending Bills. – With PTI inputs
Hans India
6 minutes ago
- Hans India
Tribal icon Shibu Soren dies at 81
New Delhi: Shibu Soren, Rajya Sabha MP, former Union Minister, Jharkhand Chief Minister and one of the founders of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, died on Monday. He was 81. Soren is survived by wife Roopi Soren, sons Hemant and Basant and daughter Anjali. Another son Durga Soren died in 2009. While Hemant is the Jharkhand Chief Minister and recently took charge as the JMM president, Basant is an MLA. Soren had been under treatment at Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital for over a month and his condition was critical for the past few days. Soren's son and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren shared the news of his father's death on X. "Beloved Dishom Guruji has left us. I lost everything today," he said. The hospital said in a statement that Soren was admitted on June 19 and was under the care of Dr A K Bhalla, senior consultant, Nephrology. "Despite the best efforts of our multidisciplinary medical team, Shibu Soren passed away peacefully on Monday with his family at the bedside. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, his loved ones and the people of Jharkhand in this moment of grief and loss of a very popular mass leader," the statement said. Over a four-decade career in politics, Soren was elected to the Lok Sabha eight times and served as a Rajya Sabha MP for two terms, the second ongoing. Belonging to the Santhal community, Shibu Soren was born in the Ramgarh district, which was then part of Bihar. He tied up with Leftist trade union leader AK Roy and Kurmi Mahato leader Binod Bihari Mahato to form the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha in 1972. Over the years, Soren emerged as a key face of the statehood movement, which led to the formation of Jharkhand in 2000. He was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980 from Dumka, which later turned into a stronghold of the JMM. The veteran leader suffered defeat at his bastion in 2019, when the BJP's Nalin Soren won by a margin of over 45,000 votes. Soren served as a Union Minister and a three-time Chief Minister but could not complete any of the terms. He became Jharkhand Chief Minister for the first time in 2005 but had to resign just nine days later after he failed to clear the floor test in the Assembly. Two more terms in the top post followed, but both lasted merely a few months, thanks to the twists and turns of coalition politics. The same could be said of his journey in the Union Cabinet. Soren joined the Manmohan Singh government in 2004, but he was asked to resign after an arrest warrant was issued in the 1974 Chirudih case linked to a clash between tribals and Muslims. After he was released on bail, he was re-inducted into the Union Cabinet but resigned to take over as Jharkhand Chief Minister. After his 10-day term, he returned as Union Coal Minister in 2006. Less than a year later, he was convicted in the murder case of his former secretary, Shashinath Jha, and had to resign again. This is the first instance of a Union Minister found guilty of involvement in a murder. The Delhi High Court later acquitted him in the case. His last term as Chief Minister ended after his party backed a motion brought by the UPA government in Parliament, despite being the BJP's ally in Jharkhand. Furious over the move, the BJP withdrew support and Soren's government collapsed. President Droupadi Murmu said Soren's death is a big loss "in the space of social justice". "He championed the cause of tribal identity and formation of the state of Jharkhand.
Hindustan Times
6 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
PM Modi to address key NDA meet today amid Parliament logjam
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address a meeting of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parliamentary party on Tuesday. The meeting will bring together MPs of the ruling alliance and marks a rare full-session gathering, being held after a considerable gap. NDA meet Tuesday: PM Narendra Modi to address alliance MPs on key issues(File Photo/Reuters) The NDA meeting comes amid a deadlock in the monsoon session of Parliament, which has been largely disrupted—except for a two-day debate on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. The Opposition has stalled proceedings in protest against the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. PM Modi is expected to address several pressing issues in his speech today, including the Opposition's accusations that the poll body is favouring the BJP-led government. He is also likely to speak on April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent military response. The meeting also comes ahead of the nomination process for the vice-presidential election, which begins on August 7. With the NDA holding a majority in the electoral college, its nominee is expected to comfortably win the poll, scheduled for September 9 if contested. According to news agency PTI's sources, parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju, along with BJP national general secretaries, is likely to coordinate with allies to finalise the vice-presidential candidate.
