<span style="color: #222222;">Home Minister Amit Shah today asserted in the Lok Sabha saying that the Narendra Modi Government has done more for Jammu and Kashmir since Article 370 was scrapped in August 2019 than those who ruled it for generations. Its development has been the top priority of the government, he said.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Replying to a discussion on the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021, Mr Shah also slammed some Opposition members for their claim that the proposed law negates the hopes of the region getting back its erstwhile statehood. Later, the house passed the bill that seeks to merge Jammu and Kashmir cadre of All India Services with the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Home Minister said, the legislation has nothing to do with the statehood and Jammu and Kashmir will be accorded the status at an appropriate time. He said, the Centre made it a Union Territory to streamline the administrative machinery and push development works which had been stalled for decades. He said, the region's Union Territory status is temporary and then took a swipe at the Congress and other parties for backing the Article 370 that gave Special Status to Jammu and Kashmir, saying it was a temporary provision, but they continued with it for over 70 years before the Modi Government annulled it in August 2019.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Home Minister said, Jammu and Kashmir has been a top priority for the current government since it took power in 2014.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Decentralisation and devolution of power have taken place in the Union Territory following the revocation of Article 370, Mr. Shah said, noting that the Panchayat elections saw over 51 per cent voting. Panchayats have been given administrative and financial powers for local development, something they lacked earlier, he added.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Now, people elected by the masses will rule Jammu and Kashmir and not those born to kings and queens, he said, attacking dynastic parties in the region. The Home Minister said, even our rivals could not allege any wrongdoing in these polls which were conducted fairly and peacefully.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Home Minister said, work on two AIIMS in the region has begun and the Kashmir Valley will be connected to the Railways network by 2022. He also gave the assurance to the people of Jammu and Kashmir that no one will lose their land. The government has sufficient land for development works, he said.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The bill seeks to replace the ordinance to merge the Jammu and Kashmir cadre of Civil Services officers with the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre. Mr. Shah said, the government expects that around 25,000 government jobs will be created in Jammu and Kashmir by 2022.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Home Minister said, the Panchayats have now been given the deciding power on 21 matters of development and also given over 1,500 crore rupees for carrying out development works. He said, over 50 thousand families have been covered under health insurance.   The Prime Minister Development Packages, which was over 58,627 crore rupees, has been raised by a further 26 per cent, he said. Almost every household has been provided power supply and more than 12 lakh women given cooking gas cylinders under the Ujjwala Scheme, he said.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Bahujan Samaj Party has supported the bill and lashed out at the Congress for its Opposition to the government's measures that it said are in support of the poor, Dalits and other deprived communities in the Union Territory.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Malook Nagar of the BSP said, the backward communities like Gujjar and Backarwal had been deprived of their rights in Jammu and Kashmir for long. He said, they are now getting their due, a reference to the Modi Government's move to roll out reservation for them in line with the national quota after the erstwhile state's special status was revoked with the annulment of Article 370 of the Constitution in 2019. Mayawati-led BSP had also backed the government on its move to abrogate Article 370.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Participating in the discussion on the bill, Mr. Nagar was spirited in support of the government and was equally strong in his criticism of the Congress, saying its leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra ate meals in poor households but opposed the Centre's pro-poor policies.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Mr. Nagar also mocked Rahul Gandhi for his speech during a discussion on the Union budget, saying he delivered his address and then left as a professor does after giving a lecture to students.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The BSP is also in the Opposition but is getting a bad name, he said, as the treasury benches repeatedly cheered at his remarks.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">What is the harm if good officers from other parts of the country serve Jammu and Kashmir, he asked, supporting the bill that seeks to replace the ordinance to merge the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) cadre of Civil Services officers with the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">T. Sumathy Thamizhachi Thangapandian of the DMK opposed the bill alleging that the government has imposed a host of draconian laws on the country. She asserted, it is a serious blow to a state's rights.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Satya Pal Singh of the BJP said, the proposed law will help the Centre usher in all-round development of the Union Territory and push its full integration with the rest of the country. This will allow the government to punish those officers who do not act properly by transferring them outside.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Prof. Saugata Roy of the Trinamool Congress opposed the bill, saying it is against the principles of the Constitution. It will also affect the career prospects of the Jammu and Kashmir cadre officers, he said. He also spoke about the revocation of Article 370, wondering what it has brought to Jammu and Kashmir and noting that for the first time a state was reduced to the status of a union territory. Democratic rights of people were taken away, he said. </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Chinta Anuradha of the YSR Congress Party supported the bill and said, it will allow the government to fill up the big deficiency of officers there besides boosting the development activities.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Rajiv Ranjan Singh of the JD(U) supported the bill and took a dig at the Opposition members who brought up the issue of revocation of Article 370. Whatever had to happen has happened, and there is no point raking it up now, he said, noting that his party had also not supported the measure then. Development is taking place at a fast pace in Jammu and Kashmir, he said.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Earlier, introducing the bill, Minister of State for Home Affairs G. Kishan Reddy said that the government was working to take Jammu and Kashmir on the path to development. He said, around 170 Central laws are being implemented in Jammu and Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution that gave a special status to the erstwhile state. He said, the government is implementing different development projects and schemes in Jammu and Kashmir.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Raising objections to the bill, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of the Congress questioned the need for bringing an ordinance for this. He said, regularly promulgating an ordinance is not good for a Parliamentary democracy as an ordinance should be preceded by an emergency situation or any urgency. Mr. Chowdhury said, Jammu and Kashmir is a sensitive state and the cadre should be local and officers having ground knowledge should be appointed there. He alleged that militancy is still prevalent in the Union Territory and people are living in an atmosphere of fear. He said, the government had promised to bring back Kashmiri Pandits to the Kashmir valley but has failed to ensure their return.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Opposing the bill, Hasnain Masoodi of J&K NC said, the bill is akin to an assault on the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He said, the government should restore the position of Jammu and Kashmir to that of prior to 5th of August 2019.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleging that he is insulting the Constitutional functionaries.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Replying to the discussion on the Union Budget 2021-22, she said, the former Congress Chief was creating fake narratives, but does not have patience to listen to replies on allegations levelled against the government. The Minister said, people need to recognise these two tendencies of the Congress party as this makes it clear that their belief in a democratically elected Parliamentary system is completely finished.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Responding to Rahul Gandhi's speech on Thursday, during which he talked about farm laws, but declined to speak on the Budget. The Minister further said, Mr. Gandhi laid the foundation, but did not speak about the Budget during the discussion on it. Ms. Sitharaman said, she wanted Mr. Gandhi to speak on ten issues but was disappointed as the Congress leader made no mention of them. She questioned the Congress party why it took a U-turn on the farm laws, but no reply came, she said, adding that Mr. Gandhi did not tell the house why Congress Governments in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh did not waive farm loans as promised in their manifestoes. She further said, Mr. Gandhi did not talk about the farmers issue in Punjab where Congress is in power and the steps being taken by the government with regard to stubble burning. She said, Mr. Gandhi also did not refer to any clause in the three farm bills which was against the farmers.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Finance Minister said, Mr. Gandhi did not say anything about the statement of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who had advocated reform of the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee. She also accused Mr. Gandhi of insulting Constitutional authorities recalling the incident when the Congress leader tore an ordinance promulgated by its own government led by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">In her reply to discussion on the budget, she said, the Union Budget 2021-122 has set the pace for India to become Aatmanirbhar. The Minister also said, the challenges of pandemic did not deter the government from undertaking reforms for maintaining long term goals of the country. The reforms undertaken will lay the path for India to become one of those fastest-growing economies in the world, she said, adding that the Budget has set the pace for India to become Aatmanirbhar or self-reliant. </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Later, the Lok Sabha was adjourned after completion of the first leg of the Budget Session today. The Rajya Sabha was adjourned yesterday. Both the houses are now scheduled to meet on 8th of March for the second leg.</span>

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh informed the Lok Sabha today that India and China have reached an agreement on disengagement in the North and South bank of Pangong lake in Eastern Ladakh that mandates both sides to cease forward deployment of troops in a 'phased, coordinated and verifiable' manner.<br />''<br />''Sharing details of the pact to defuse the tense military face-off in eastern Ladakh that severely strained ties between the two Asian giants, Mr. Singh said New Delhi has not conceded anything in the sustained talks with China. In his statement, the Defence Minister also made it clear that India will not allow even an inch of its territory to be taken by anyone. He said implementation of the pact will 'substantially restore' the situation to the one which existed prior to the standoff that erupted on May 5 last.<br />''<br />''He said that the two sides have agreed that they should achieve complete disengagement at the 'earliest' and abide fully by the bilateral agreements and protocols. Mr. Singh said both sides have agreed to remove structures that had been built since April last in North and South bank areas, and put in place a temporary moratorium on military activities including patrolling the traditional areas.<br />''<br />''The Defence Minister said under the agreement the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will keep its troops in the North bank area to the East of Finger 8 and the Indian troops will be based at their permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3 in the Pangong lake areas, a major site of friction between the two large armies. He said the implementation of the pact started on Wednesday and it was agreed to convene the next meeting of senior commanders of both sides within 48 hours of completion of the disengagement in the Pangong lake area so as to resolve all other remaining issues.<br />''<br />''The Minister said that he was happy to inform the House that as a result of the well thought out approach and sustained talks with the Chinese side, India has been able to reach an agreement on disengagement in the North and South bank of the Pangong lake.<br />''The border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5 following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry even as the two sides continued military and diplomatic talks.<br />''<br />''The Defence Minister said patrolling will be resumed in the areas only when both sides reach an agreement in diplomatic and military talks that would be held subsequently. He said these are mutual and reciprocal steps and any structures that had been built by both sides since April 2020 in both North and South bank areas will be removed and the landforms will be restored. These will be the focus of further discussions with the Chinese side. We have agreed that both sides should achieve complete disengagement at the earliest and abide fully by the bilateral agreements and protocols.<br />''<br />''Noting that the Chinese side is fully aware of India's resolve by now, he said it is India's expectation that the neighbouring country will work with the Indian side in full sincerity to resolve these remaining issues.<br />''The Defence Minister exuded confidence that the entire House, irrespective of political affiliations, is united together for upholding the country's sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity and national security. He said the House is one in sending out the same message demonstrating the strength and unity of our Nation to the entire world.<br />''<br />''In the nine rounds of military talks, India had specifically insisted on withdrawal of Chinese troops from Finger 4 to Finger 8 on the North bank of Pangong Lake. The mountain spurs in the area are referred to as Fingers.<br />''The Minister said on its part, the Chinese side was insisting on withdrawal of Indian troops from several strategic peaks on the southern bank of the lake. Around five months back, Indian troops occupied a number of strategic heights in the Mukhpari, Rechin La and Magar hill areas around the southern bank after the Chinese PLA attempted to intimidate them in the area.<br />''Later, the House has taken up discussion on the Union Budget 2021-22.<br />''<br />''Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the government for enacting the three farming laws and alleged that it has triggered protests by farmers at Delhi's borders. He also alleged that the laws will allow industrialists to buy unlimited quantities of food grains and hoard them. Mr Gandhi demanded the repeal of the farming laws.  Mr Gandhi claimed that the new farm laws will destroy India's food security system and hurt the rural economy.<br />''<br />''Responding to this, Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur said Mr Gandhi was not prepared to speak about the Union Budget. He said, it was an optimistic budget and it will set the path for India to be an economic and manufacturing powerhouse. The governments of Atal Bihar Vajpayee and Narendra Modi started and amplified highways and roads programmes. The Modi government gave electricity, gas connections, housing, toilets, bank accounts, and now piped water. The Modi government has also implemented the Swaminathan committee report.<br />''<br />''Telugu Desam Party's Jayadev Galla, participating in the debate, complimented the Prime Minister for the most comprehensive lockdown that saved lives.<br />''<br />''In his speech, Sanjay Jaiswal of the BJP said how the Prime Minister managed to present a commendable budget amidst the adverse circumstances. Jaiswal said lots of investments have been made on roads, rail and other infrastructure and how it will help create jobs and take India to new heights.<br />''<br />''Others who took part in the debate include Dr. K. Jayakumar of Congress, M. Selvaraj of CPI, Ajay Misra of BJP, Hasnain Masoodi of National Conference and Anupriya Patel of Apna Dal.<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">The discussion was on till the was written.</span><br />

<span style="color: #222222;">Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that his government and Parliament have great respect for the agitating farmers and made it clear that those who want to continue with the old agriculture marketing system can remain doing so. He made this observation in the Lok Sabha today while replying to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address. Mr Modi slammed the opposition Congress as a divided and confused party for its different stand in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha during the debate on farmers.       </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Prime Minister appealed to the protesting farmers to come to the negotiations table to resume talks. He also allayed apprehensions on the farm laws, saying that neither any agriculture 'mandi' (market) has been shut down after the three laws were enacted nor has the MSP stopped. He said instead the MSP has only increased which no one can deny. The Prime Minister said the House, the government and we all respect the farmers who are voicing their views on the farm bills.<br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He said this is the reason why the top most ministers are constantly talking to the farmers. There is great respect for farmers, he added. He said after the laws relating to agriculture were passed by Parliament, no 'mandi' was shut. Likewise, the MSP has also remained. Procurement on MSP has remained. These facts can't be ignored, he said.<br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Prime Minister said those who are disrupting the House are doing so as per a well-planned strategy as they are unable to digest that people can see the truth. Through their games, the trust of the people can never be won, he said amidst protests by the opposition members.<br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Congress members staged a walkout from the House as Modi explained the government's stand on the three farm laws. Members belonging to DMK and TMC also walked out of the House after the Prime Minister's address saying they were not happy with the speech.<br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Mr. Modi said the condition of the Congress party which ruled the country for about six decades has now become such that its Rajya Sabha unit moves in one direction while the Lok Sabha unit moves the other way. He observed that such a 'divided' and 'confused' party can neither do any good for itself nor can it think of any solution to the country's problems. He regretted that nothing can be more unfortunate than this. <br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Prime Minister also said the government has offered to discuss clause by clause of the three farm laws and if there are any shortcomings it was ready to make changes. He reiterated that the old agriculture marketing system will continue and those who do not want the new system can continue with the old system. The farmer in the country should become self-reliant, he should get freedom to sell his produce, there is a need to work in that direction, Mr Modi said adding that agriculture has been a part of India's culture and the festivals have all been associated with planting and reaping of crops. Mr.Modi said investment that farming needs is not happening and there is a need to bring investment and modernise agriculture to empower the sector.<br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Prime Minister said the NDA government has tried everything to bring changes in the country and asserted that if the intention is good, then the results will also be good.<br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, Modi said India has managed the crisis successfully despite adverse predictions and the country has now become a ray of hope for the world.<br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He said the world post-COVID-19 is turning out to be very different and in such times remaining isolated from the global trends will be counter-productive. The Prime Minister said that is why India is working towards building an 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' which seeks to further the global good. The Prime Minister said predictions were made that India cannot survive as a nation, but the people proved them wrong and we are now a ray of hope for the world.<br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Complimenting health care and frontline workers for their relentless work during the pandemic, the prime minister said the way India has managed the Coronavirus crisis is a turning point and the world has seen its success. The address of the President has showcased India's 'Sankalp Shakti' and his words have boosted the spirit of confidence among the people of India, infused new confidence and inspired every heart. Stating that a large number of women MPs participated in the discussion, the Prime Minister said that he wanted to congratulate them for enriching the proceedings in the House with their thoughts.<br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Soon after the Prime Minister replied to the debate, Speaker Om Birla put all amendments moved by the opposition members for vote. The amendments were rejected by a voice vote.<br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Initiating the discussion on the Union Budget 2021-22, Shashi Tharoor of the Congress alleged that people of the country have been left disappointed as the fuel prices are soaring and there was no relief in tax rates for the middle class. He said there is no relief in tax rates for the middle class.<br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Congress leader said in the agriculture sector, the budget did little to reassure farmers as a quarter of the budget for MSP has been cut. This budget has given no relief to the farmers as there is no fiscal support and neither there is diesel subsidy.<br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Participating in the debate, Meenakshi Lekhi of the BJP congratulated Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting an excellent budget at a time of unprecedented global pandemic and lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his vision of a double digit economy. She said the first budget of this decade is a bit different because of the pandemic. This is the first budget of this decade and it will determine the path India will take during the next few years, she said. The BJP leader said capitalism is needed for the economic development of the country like getting new technology such as 5G internet. She also slammed the Congress for doing nothing for the proper health of Public Sector Units.<br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Dayanidhi Maran of the DMK, participating in the debate, said hundreds of people lost their jobs during the Coronavirus-induced lockdown and 30 per cent of the MSMEs were closed down. He said the government should have reduced excise duty on fuel. Mr. Maran demanded a white paper on the results on the stimulus package.<br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The discussion on the General Budget was continuing till the writing of the .</span><br />''  

<span style="color: #222222;">Opposition members protesting against the three farm laws continued to disrupt the proceedings in the Lok Sabha today forcing repeated adjournments till 7 PM.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">However, the Question Hour continued for a while immediately after the House met for the day at 4 PM. Members belonging to several opposition parties stormed into the well of the House displaying placards amid slogans against the Government.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Speaker Om Birla expressed his annoyance at the disruption by the opposition saying their conduct is not in line with the dignity of Parliament. He observed that the members always pushed for having the Question Hour but some of them are now trying to disrupt the proceedings. He then adjourned the House till 5 PM.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Meenakshi Lekhi of the BJP was in the Chair when the house was reconvened at 5 PM. Amid noisy scenes, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill. The Bill seeks to replace an ordinance that was promulgated in November last year. It seeks to ensure that all stakeholder parties get an opportunity to seek an unconditional stay on enforcement of arbitral awards where the arbitration agreement or contract is induced by fraud or corruption. </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Criticising the disruption by opposition members, the Chair observed that Parliamentarians are making a mockery of themselves.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Later she adjourned the House till 6 PM. When the house met at 6 PM, the situation was not changed, Rajendra Agrawal of the BJP, who was in the Chair, adjourned the House till 7 PM.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Later at 7 PM, Presiding Officer Rajendra Agrawal tried to run the house but in vain, he adjourned the House till 8.30 PM.</span><br />''  

Proceedings in the Lok Sabha began on a stormy note today with the Opposition disrupting the house over the ongoing agitation by farmers protesting against the three farm laws. <br />'' <br />''Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar today informed the Lok Sabha that the government is willing to discuss the three farm reform laws both inside and outside Parliament even as Opposition members continued their protests demanding their repeal. Their relentless protests and sloganeering soon after the house met at 4 pm led to adjournment of its proceedings in the house. Only a few questions could be taken up during the Question Hour before the house was adjourned. <br />''<br />''Speaker Om Birla asked protesting Opposition members, including from the Congress and TMC, to go back to their seats as he assured that he will allow them to raise their issues. However, his request went unheeded. As the protests continued after the house met at 5 pm following adjournment, the Minister said, the government is willing to discuss every aspect of the agriculture issues and asked the Opposition to be part of the discussion instead of indulging in protests and slogan-shouting. <br />''<br />''Mr Tomar said, if the Question Hour had taken place, he would have answered a number of queries related to the farmers' issues. He asked the Opposition to discuss the matter instead of wasting time. Speaker Birla told the members that Parliament is a forum for debates and discussions and he repeatedly pleaded with the protesting members to go back to their seats and take part in the discussion. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of the Congress spoke briefly but protests continued, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the house again. <br />''<br />''<br />''Earlier, as soon as the proceedings started at 4 pm, Opposition members from Congress, DMK and Trinamool Congress trooped into the well of the house raising slogans demanding the repeal of what they dubbed as black laws. Some of the Shivsena members were seen raising slogans from the aisles. Former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal of the Shiromani Akali Dal was displaying a poster demanding repeal of the three agriculture laws. <br />'' <br />''Speaker Om Birla urged the members to return to their seats and follow the COVID-19 protocol. He said, questions related to farmers were listed and members can raise their issues during the Question Hour. He also suggested that the members can also raise the issues during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address. But the Opposition members, however, refused to relent forcing the Speaker to adjourn the house at around 4.10 pm.<br />'' <br />''<span style="color: #222222;">Several farmers' unions have been staging protests on various border points of Delhi demanding the repeal of the farm laws. The Lok Sabha took up the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address when it met at 7 pm. Locket Chatterjee of the BJP initiated the discussion amid continued Opposition protests. She said, the ongoing year is very important as India will celebrate the 75th year of Independence. She also made a reference to Subhas Chandra Bose and Rabindranath Tagore. With Opposition members raising slogans against the three farm laws, Speaker Om Birla asked them to go to their seats but in vain. Later, he adjourned the house for the day.</span><br />