Lok Sabha Adjourned for the Day Amid Opposition Uproar Over 'Misuse' of ED

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Thursday amid sloganeering by Congress members against the alleged misuse of the Enforcement Directorate by the government. As soon as the House met at 2 pm, papers were laid on the table and two resolutions adopted amid continued sloganeering by Congress members.

Kirit Solanki, who was in the chair, requested the protesting members to go back to their seats and allow the House to function after which he adjourned the proceedings for the day. Earlier in the day, Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm as soon as Congress members displayed placards to protest against ED actions and price rise.

Amid sloganeering by Opposition members, the Question Hour went on till around 11.30 am and five questions as well as their related supplementaries were taken up. Congress and other opposition members protested against the ED action, GST on essential items and price rise.

However, at around 11.30 am, as soon as some Congress members displayed placards standing in the Well of the House, Speaker Om Birla adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm. Congress leader in the House Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was the first to display the placards and other members then brought placards to the House.

Earlier this week, when Birla had revoked the suspension of four Opposition members, he had also made it clear that they should not display placards inside the House. As soon as the proceedings began on Thursday, Opposition members sought to raise various issues and shouted slogans. With the Speaker not allowing them to raise the issues, Congress members trooped into the Well of the House while those from the DMK, NCP and CPI-M, among others, protested by standing at their seats.

Earlier, Birla asked the Congress members, who were protesting in the Well, to go back to their seats. The Speaker also warned that he would have to take action if they continued to stand in the Well. The lines ‘Save Constitution, Save Democracy’ and ‘GST hurting common people’ were written on the placards. Besides, the members also protested against price rise.

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– Parliament nod to bill granting statutory cover to family courts in HP, Nagaland

Parliament passed a bill granting statutory cover to family courts set up in Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland and retrospectively validating all actions taken by them. Rajya Sabha passed the Family Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2022, by a voice vote amid sloganeering by the opposition, led by Congress members who alleged misuse of the Enforcement Directorate by the government. Lok Sabha had passed the bill last week. The Family Courts (Amendment) Bill seeks to insert a provision in sub-section 3 of section 1 to provide for the establishment of family courts in Himachal Pradesh with effect from February 15, 2019, and in Nagaland with effect from September 12, 2008.

– Cong Raises Issue of ED Action in Rajya Sabha:

The Congress raised the issue of ED action and police gherao of its party office and the residences of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, with leader of opposition Mallikarjun Kharge saying in the Rajya Sabha that he has been summoned by the ED at a time when Parliament is in session. Leader of the House Piyush Goyal, however, claimed that the government does not interfere in the functioning of law enforcement agencies and said Congress leaders should face the law, not run away from it and allow Parliament to function.

–Lok Sabha Resumes Amid Ruckus 

Lok Sabha resumed after being adjourned due to ruckus till 2 pm. Slogans “EDshahi band karo [Stop misuse of ED]” have been raised by the Opposition in Lok Sabha.

Rajya Sabha, meanwhile, has been adjourned till Friday 11 am.

-Summoned by ED in National Herald Case, Cong MP Kharge Says ‘Is It Suitable To Do So Amid Monsoon Session?’  

Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge, who has been summoned by the ED in connection with National Herald case, asked in Rajya Sabha today that if it’s suitable for central probe agency to summon him amid Monsoon session.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Is it suitable for the ED to summon me while the Parliament session is ongoing?”

Saying that this weakens democracy, Kharge asserted that this was being done to demolarise the Opposition.

Rajya Sabha, meanwhile, was adjourned till 2 pm.

-‘Not At All Scared of Modi’, Says Rahul on Reaching Parliament

-Rahul Gandhi Meets Party Colleagues in Parliament Central Hall

Rahul Gandhi met party colleagues and opposition leaders at the Central hall in Parliament building amid protest by Opposition over ‘misuse’ of central agencies by the Modi government.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi said that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into the National Herald case is an intimidation tactic by the BJP, adding that he is not scared of Narendra Modi.

“Truth cannot be barricaded. Do whatever you want to do, I am not afraid of the Prime Minister, I will always work in the interest of the country,” Rahul Gandhi said.

-MoS IT Tells Why Govt Retracted Personal Data Protection Bill

-Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha Adjourned Amid Ruckus

Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 pm amid sloganeering by Opposition MPs in House. Rajya Sabha was also adjourned till 12 pm as ruckus ensued in the House when Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue of “misuse of agencies and attempts made by the Govt to suppress the Opposition.”

-Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi Gives Short Duration Discussion Notice in Rajya Sabha Over ‘Misuse’ of Central Agencies 

Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi has given short duration discussion notice in Rajya Sabha on the issue of “the broad & undefined scope of discretion of central investigation agencies such as ED, CBI, I-T etc., being misused to encroach upon civil liberties of political opponents.”

-AAP’s Raghav Chadha, Sanjay Singh Give Suspension of Business Notices in Rajya Sabha

AAP MP Raghav Chadha has given Suspension of Business Notice in Rajya Sabha to discuss the seizure of drugs at Mundra Port in Gujarat/Nhava Sheva Port in Maharashtra and “conspiracy for smuggling the seized drugs into Punjab and rest of the country.”

AAP MP Sanjay Singh has given Suspension of Business Notice in Rajya Sabha under Rule 267 to discuss Agnipath Recruitment Scheme.

Congress MP Rajeev Shukla has given Zero Hour Submission in Rajya Sabha to discuss the admission of medical students who have returned from Ukraine.

-Ruckus in Lok Sabha Over ‘Misuse’ of Central Agencies by Modi Govt

Lok Sabha saw adjournments on Wednesday amid protests by Opposition parties over the “Enforcement Directorate raj.”

This came in the backdrop of the ongoing National Herald case, in which Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have been accused of money laundering.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi also came to the well of the House briefly to join her party MPs who were protesting against the “misuse of central investigative agencies” against opposition leaders.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday temporarily sealed the premises of the Young Indian in the Congress-owned National Herald office in Delhi as part of the ongoing money laundering case and instructed that the “premises not be opened without prior permission from the agency”. The rest of the National Herald office in the Herald House building is open for use.

-Comprehensive Bill Covering All Aspects of Digital Economy Will Be Placed in Parliament: MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Wednesday that the government will come up with a comprehensive framework covering all aspects of digital economy with dedicated rules for data privacy, emerging technologies, and data governance framework.

The government on Wednesday withdrew the Personal Data Protection Bill from Lok Sabha and said it will come out with a “set of fresh legislations” that will fit into the comprehensive legal framework.

-Govt Withdraws Personal Data Protection Bill from Lok Sabha

The government on Wednesday withdrew the Personal Data Protection Bill from Lok Sabha and said it will come out with a “set of fresh legislations” that will fit into the comprehensive legal framework. “The government will bring a set of new legislation for a comprehensive legal framework for the digital economy,” said IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who moved for the withdrawal of the Bill in the House.

The government would hold a wide public consultation before putting the new legislation to Parliament, sources said. According to sources, the Bill could be replaced by more than one bill, dealing with privacy and cyber security and the government may bring the new set of bills in the Winter Session of Parliament.

-India to be Among Select Countries to Have Own Laws to Check Doping in Sports

He said for holding any major international championship, the number of tests required could be as high as 10,000 a month. Thakur also informed the House that samples from 16 countries are tested in laboratories located in India. The minister said that with the passage of this bill, India will join the club of select countries like the US, China, Japan, and France, which have their own laws related to checking doping in sports.

-Parliament Passes National Anti-Doping Bill to Provide Statutory Framework for NADA

A bill to provide statutory framework for the functioning of the National Anti-Doping Agency and scaling up the network of dope testing laboratories in the country was passed by Parliament on Wednesday.

The National Anti-Doping Bill, 2022 was passed by a voice vote in Rajya Sabha, a week after it was cleared by Lok Sabha along with certain amendments.

Incidentally, it is the first bill piloted by Anurag Thakur as the Sports and Youth Affairs Minister. While responding to the debate on the bill, the minister said that currently, India can carry out only about 6,000 tests a year, and the proposed legislation would help increase the testing capacity significantly.

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