Review of this week's parliament proceedings

Passage of major legislations, Suspension of some of the opposition members and discussion on several matters of public importance are the highlights of the winter session which came to an end on Thursday.”   ”The Rajya Sabha on Monday passed two Bills to provide reservation for women in Legislative Assemblies of Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir by voice vote in the House.  The Bills were passed amid continuous sloganeering by opposition parties who have been demanding that Union Home Minister Amit Shah make a statement on the December 13 security breach in the House.” ”After the passage of the Bills, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said the security breach is a matter of "collective concern". Incidents of such nature have also occurred in the past. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that this august institution works in the safest and most conducive atmosphere, he said.” ”A high-level enquiry committee for an in-depth investigation of the incident and formulating a concrete action plan to ensure that such incidents do not occur has already been constituted by Lok Sabha Speaker. Its findings will be shared with the House in due course, the Rajya Sabha chairman said. The House also suspended 45 MPs for their unruly behaviour.”   ”On Monday, the Lok Sabha suspended 33 opposition members, including leader of the Congress Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, T R Baalu of DMK and Sougata Ray of the Trinamool Congress from the House for displaying placards and raising slogans over the Parliament's security breach issue.” ”The Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has ordered a high-level inquiry into the breach in Parliament security and urged members not to politicize the issue.”     ”Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi made a statement on the issue in the Lok Sabha, but opposition members have been insisting on a statement from the Home Minister.” ”The Lok Sabha also witnessed repeated adjournments as opposition members demanded a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah over the issue of breach of Parliament security.” ”The Post Office Bill, 2023, which seeks to repeal the 125-year-old Indian Post Office Act and consolidate and amend the law relating to post offices in the country was also passed by the Lok Sabha.” ”Replying to a discussion on the Bill, Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan stressed that the provision for interception is needed for national security reasons.”   ”On Tuesday the Rajya Sabha was adjourned five times as the members from opposition parties including Congress and  Trinamool Congress continued their protests over the Parliament security breach issue with sloganeering, trooping  into the well and  displaying placards.” ”The opposition MPs have been demanding a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on the Parliament security breach issue and sought the revocation of the suspension of the opposition members in the House.” ”The Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar raised the issue of mimicry of the Speaker and the Chairman by an MP and the videography of the act saying this was shameful and there has to be a limit.” ”Parliament on Tuesday passed The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Act, 2023, which extends protection from punitive action against unauthorised developments in Delhi for three years beyond December 31 with the approval of Rajya Sabha.” ”Replying to a debate on the bill, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri. highlighted the measures taken by the Central Government to fulfill the requirement of housing for the common people in Delhi. He said, Delhi Master Plan 2041 is under finalisation wherein the measures for unauthorized developments like Jhuggi-Jhopri clusters, unauthorised colonies, are being included.”   ”Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said Congress and Aam Aadmi Party have not supported the important Bill for Delhi despite being in the House.”     ”He also raised the issue of mimicry of Rajya Sabha Chair and vice president Jagdeep Dhankar by Trinamool Congress members. ”     ”Tuesday in Lok Sabha, As many as 49 Lok Sabha MPs were suspended from the House for disrupting proceedings on Tuesday, a day after 78 opposition members were suspended from Parliament.”   ”The suspended members include Farooq Abdullah of National Conference, Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari and Karti Chidambaram all Congress and Dimple Yadav of the Samajwadi Party.” ”On Tuesday, 49 opposition MPs were suspended for the remaining part of the Winter Session for disrupting the proceedings of the House.” ”Congress floor leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Trinamool Congress floor leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay are among those suspended.” ”On Tuesday Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, while moving a motion for the suspension of the MPs, accused the protesting members of being "frustrated" over the recent assembly election results.” ”Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said the entire House condemned the display of a morphed picture of the Prime Minister and demanded action against the MPs carrying it.  Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said it was completely against the rules and regulations to bring placards into the House. However, the opposition members ignored Birla's pleas and continued their protests leading to the adjournment of the House proceedings.” ”The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Amendment Act, 2023 was passed by voice vote after a brief discussion in which three members have participated.” ”The Bill seeks to provide protection to certain forms of unauthorized developments in Delhi from punitive action where adequate measures are yet to be taken. It extends the protection given to unauthorised buildings till 2026.”   ”The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed a Bill to raise the age limit of the President and Members of the GST Appellate Tribunal.” ”The Central Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, 2023, was passed by the House by a voice vote.” ”The Bill seeks to cap the age for the President and the members of the GST Appellate Tribunals at 70 years and 67 years respectively, higher than 67 years and 65 years specified earlier.” ”Replying to a debate on the bill, Finance Minister Sitharaman said the passage of the Bill would align the terms of service of judicial and technical members of GSTAT with the Tribunal Reforms Act of 2021.” ”The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed a Bill that seeks to give immediate effect to the changes in Customs and Excise duties announced in the Budget.”   ”The House after a brief discussion on the Provisional Collection of Taxes Bill 2023, passed the Bill by voice vote. ” ”This Bill proposes to replace the erstwhile Provisional Collection of Taxes Act, 1931 with a minor change that is technical in nature.   ”The Lok Sabha also took up the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill, 2023 for consideration and passing. The discussion remained inconclusive.” ”On Wednesday Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said that he will not tolerate any insult to Parliament and the post of Vice President while expressing deep anguish over a Trinamool Congress member mimicking him at Parliament House Complex and a Congress Member recording the act.” ”Parliament on Wednesday passed a Bill to raise the age limit of the President and Members of the Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal as the Rajya Sabha  returned the Central Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, 2023 after discussion.”   ”The Lok Sabha proceedings were disrupted by the opposition members protesting against the suspension of their colleagues and seeking a statement from the Home Minister Amit Shah on the security breach of Parliament on 13th of December.” ”Speaker Om Birla warned four opposition members against bringing placards into the House and asked them to go back to their seats.” ”As the Question Hour was progressing, some opposition members trouped into the Well of the House, shouted slogans and displayed placards.” ”Speaker Om Birla mentioned the names of the four members, warning them not to bring placards to the House and also asked them to go back to their seats. Soon after, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings till noon.”   ”The Lok Sabha has passed the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill, 2023.  The Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023 seeks to replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, which is the principal law on criminal offence in India.”   ”The new bill adds community service as a form of punishment. The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, 2023 seeks to replace the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC). The CrPC provides for the procedure for arrest, prosecution, and bail. The Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill, 2023 (BSB2) replaces the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. The Act governs the admissibility of evidence in Indian Courts.  It applies to all civil and criminal proceedings. The provision has been made in these legislations to digitise the entire process from FIR to case diary, case diary to charge sheet and charge sheet to judgement.”     ”Replying to the discussion, Union Home Minister Amit Shah described the three Criminal Bills, that are intended to replace the British era laws as transformative. He said, the new legislation will bring big changes in the existing criminal justice system. Talking about the existing laws, Mr. Shah said, these are 150 years old British era laws and the Prime Minister has decided to end these colonial-era laws from the country. He said, existing laws only have provisions for punitive actions but the new laws have been designed keeping in view the humanitarian approach. He said, that priorities have been given to women and children under the new laws and these laws are in consonance with the spirit of the constitution. He asserted that this is the first time when the terrorism has been clearly defined under new laws. He said, mob lynching is heinous crime and it will attract death penalty under the new laws. Replying to the debate on the bill, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and Indian Evidence Act were made to protect British rule after the 1857 freedom struggle. He said, earlier their objective was only to protect British rule as there were no provisions for protection to Indian citizens’ safety, honor and human rights. Mr Shah said that the government has not only changed the names of these old laws but brought these new bills with the objective to provide justice and not punishment. Mr Shah said, for the first time under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, these new laws are being made as per the spirit of Indian Constitution. He said, the soul of these new laws is Indian and for the first time, Indian criminal justice system will be governed by laws made by India, for India and made in Indian Parliament.”   ”On Thursday in Rajya Sabha, Parliament Thursday passed the Telecommunications Bill, 2023 which allows the government to temporarily take control of the telecom services in the interest of national security and provide a non-auction route for the allocation of satellite spectrum.”   ”The Bill was approved by the Rajya Sabha by a voice vote. It was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday after a brief discussion.”   ”Replying to the debate, Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, said the Telecommunications Bill 2023 is being brought keeping in mind the aspirations of the New India to replace two colonial-era laws.”   ”Vaishnaw also said during the same period, the number of telecom towers has increased to 25 lakh at present from just 6 lakh in 2014 and the number of internet broadband users has increased to 85 crore today from just 1.5 crore earlier.”   ”Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India made the fastest rollout of 5G technology in the world with the maximum equipment made in India.”   ”The Rajya Sabha also gave its nod to the  Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita,2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita,2023  and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill,2023 These bills will replace the Indian Penal Code-1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure Act-1898 and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872, respectively. Replying to the debate on the bill, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and Indian Evidence Act were made to protect British rule after the 1857 freedom struggle. He said, earlier their objective was only to protect British rule as there were no provisions for protection to Indian citizens’ safety, honor and human rights. Mr Shah said that the government has not only changed the names of these old laws but brought these new bills with the objective to provide justice and not punishment. Mr Shah said, for the first time under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, these new laws are being made as per the spirit of Indian Constitution. He said, the soul of these new laws is Indian and for the first time, Indian criminal justice system will be governed by laws made by India, for India and made in Indian Parliament.”   ”The Lok Sabha on Thursday gave its nod to a Bill which seeks to establish a mechanism to appoint the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners with Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal asserting that it is in line with the directions of the Supreme Court.”   ”The Lok Sabha passed the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023 by a voice vote after a brief discussion. The Rajya Sabha had cleared it on 12th of December.”     ”Responding to the debate, Law Minister Meghwal said the 1991 Act on the service conditions of the Chief Election Commissioners and Election Commissioners was a half-baked attempt that left out the key aspect of appointments and the present Bill covers such areas.”     ”The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed a bill to replace a British-era law governing publishing industry and simplify the process of registration of periodicals.” ”Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023, which was passed by voice vote in the Lok Sabha will make the registration of periodicals a one-step process as against the eight-steps process in the archaic law. The Bill replaces the Press and Registration of Books (PRB) Act, 1867. He said. "This bill is simple, smart and has a simultaneous process for registration of newspapers and periodicals. Earlier newspapers or magazines had to pass through an eight-step registration process. He said, this can now be done at the click of a button, he said. The Rajya Sabha had passed the bill on 3rd of August.” ”Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved a motion for the suspension of D K Suresh, Deepak Baij and Nakul Nath. He said this House having taken serious note of misconduct in utter disregard to the House and authority of the Chair through display of placards, entering into the Well of the House. After completing business, the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die. ” ”On Thursday, both the Houses of Parliament were adjourned Sine Die.

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Review of this week's parliament proceedings