Parliament LIVE: Delhi NCT (Amendment) Bill Passed in Rajya Sabha with 131 Votes
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Parliament Monsoon Session LIVE Updates: The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, that gives the Centre powers to control Delhi's bureaucracy, was passed in the Rajya Sabha after 8-hour-long discussions. The passage of the Bill has paved way for it to become a law following the President's nod.
The Bill was passed after 131 members voted in favour of it, while 102 members voted against it.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was also present in the House.
While Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi detailed that caveats of the Bill that make the Delhi chief minister "powerless," AAP MP Raghv Chadha targeted the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) who have declared support for the Bill despite not being a part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Responding to the Opposition, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the intention of the NCT Bill is purely to have a corruption-free governance in Delhi. "If anybody has a problem with that, I don't know what to say," he said.
"I want to assure the House that the Bill does not overstep powers of the Delhi government. The functioning of the government, as was during Congress' tenure, will not get affected," he added.
While the BJD said that it is "equidistant from both BJP and Congress but supports the Bill for matters related to legislation," the YSRCP targeted AAP to call the party "anarchist."
Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi returned to the Parliament after his Lok Sabha membership was restored on Monday, following the Supreme Court's stay on his conviction in the 'Modi' surname defamation case.
AAP MP Raghav Chadha, while discussing the NCT Bill in Rajya Sabha, claimed that the BJP has been demanding for full statehood of Delhi for decades.
Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi alleged that the NCT Bill is unconstitutional and renders the Delhi government powerless.
The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill, 2023 and the Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2023 were passed in the Lok Sabha.
No-confidence motion against the NDA government will be discussed in Parliament from 8-10 August.
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'BJP Has Grabbed Power Via Backdoor': Arvind Kejriwal
In a video address, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal accused the Centre of "stealing" power in Delhi and rejecting the mandate of the people of Delhi.
Parliament Passes NCT Bill
The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, that gives the Centre powers to control Delhi's bureaucracy, was passed in the Rajya Sabha after 8-hour-long discussions. The passage of the Bill has paved way for it to become a law following the President's nod.
The Bill was passed after 131 members voted in favour of it, while 102 members voted against it.
Voting for NCT Bill Takes Place Via Slips
Voting for the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 is underway.
'Challenge Opposition to Discuss Manipur on 11 August': Amit Shah
Addressing the House, Amit Shah challenged the Opposition to have a discussion on Manipur on 11 August.
"I challenge Kharge ji to have a discussion on Manipur on 11 August," he said.
Alleging that the Opposition is not interested in a discussion, Shah said: "The discussion on no confidence motion will happen from 8-10 August. I am ready for a discussion after that," Shah said.
Kharge Objects to Amit Shah's Address
Addressing the House, Mallikarjun Kharge said: "If Amit shah wants to talk on ordinance, that is fine. But he is talking about everything from Emergency to the 2024 elections."
"He is also claiming victory in 2024 elections," Kharge said.
Home Minister Amit Shah Responds on NCT Bill
Addressing the House, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the intention of the NCT Bill is purely to have a corruption-free governance in Delhi. "If anybody has a problem with that, I don't know what to say," he said.
"I want to assure the House that the Bill does not overstep powers of the Delhi government. The functioning of the government, as was during Congress' tenure, will not get affected," he added.
"There are claims being made that ordinance like these will come for other states including Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. I want to tell Raghav Chadha ji that he does not need to worry. Any learned person would know that nothing like this can be brought in in any state. Such amendments can be made only in Union Territories. But this is not about states or UTs, this is about perspectives," Shah said.
Shah further said that the Opposition has come together against the Bill only to "appease AAP."
Responding to the allegations that the government brought the Bill a day before the Supreme Court went to vacation, Shah said: "The Opposition has comfortably omitted the fact that the SC does have vacation benches."
Derek O'Brien Opposes NCT Bill
TMC MP Derek O'Brien had a heated exchange with chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Former PM Manmohan Singh in Rajya Sabha
Former PM Manmohan Singh is present in the Rajya Sabha ahead of the voting on the NCT Bill.
Former PM Manmohan Singh in the Rajya Sabha.
Former PM Manmohan Singh in the Rajya Sabha.
'Voting for NCT Bill Will be Betrayal of India': Sanjay Raut
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut criticised the NCT Bill and said that voting for it will be a betrayal to the country.
"Those who vote for this Bill will betray Bharat Mata, will betray India. This is a direct attack on the federal structure of India and will murder democracy."
"There is an elected government in Delhi and an Assembly. The people haven't voted for the LG. The vote is for Kejrowal or a leader or a politician. You have lost Delhi six times and don't have five members in the Assembly, Hence, be it Delhi, Maharashtra, West Bengal or Tamil Nadu, you want to grab power," Raut said.
Mahesh Jethmalani Backs NCT Bill
BJP MP Mahesh Jethmalani backed the Centre's NCT Bill in the Rajya sabha on Monday.
'I Don't Understand the Support of BJD & YSRCP': P Chidambaram
Targeting the BJD and the YSRCP's support to the NCT Bill, former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram said: "I understand the absolute support of the BJP to the Bill. What I do not understand is the half-hearted support given by two of my learned friends representing the BJD and the YSRCP. They know that this is unconstitutional. The law ministry knows that it is unconstitutional. It is like the moth that approaches a fire and gets burnt, then it it again approaches the same fire because it is a moth."
"I didn't find you mention any merit in any clause of the Bill," Chidambaram said while addressing BJD and YSRCP MPs over the NCT Bill.
Lok Sabha Passes Pharmacy Bill
The Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was passed in the Lok Sabha.
'Equidistant is Neutrality': Manoj Kumar Jha
Taking a jibe at the BJD and YSRCP who said that they said that they are equidistant from the BJP and the Congress, RJD MP Manoj Jha said that "being equidistant means neutrality."
"The AAP had taken a stand in favour of the Abrogation of Article 370. They must be thinking today why they did so," he said.
YSRCP Explains Stand on NCT Bill
Justifying the party's position on the NCT Bill, YSRCP MP Vijayasai Reddy said: "The Supreme Court has stated that the power of Parliament to enact the law granting government executive power over services is not in contention, it is now a settled position in law."
"It is clear that if this Bill is passed, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is 'Absolute Anarchy Party'," he said.
'We Are Equidistant From the BJP and Congress': BJD
BJD MP Dr Sasmit Patra spoke in the Rajya Sabha during the discussion on the NCT Bill and said that the party is "equidistant from the BJP and the Congress and that the principal opposition in Odisha is the BJP."
"The BJD is in favour of this Bill because it supports the Constitutional standpoint of this Bill and the Parliament's power to enact legislations and the Parliament's legislative competence in such matters," he said.
'BJP Demanded Full Statehood for Delhi for Decades': AAP's Raghav Chadha
AAP MP Raghav Chadha, while discussing the NCT Bill in Rajya Sabha, claimed that the BJP has been demanding for full statehood of Delhi for decades.
"This Bill is not just a humiliation of the Constitution, but also Lal Krishna Advani, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Sushma Swaraj, and Arun Jaitley who struggled for decades to demand full statehood for Delhi," he alleged.
"This Bill has been brought because the BJP has lost six Assembly elections in a row in Delhi and it knows that the AAP government will not let the BJP win for another 25 years," he added.
Here's his full address:
Data Protection Bill Passed in Lok Sabha
The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill, 2023 was passed in the Lok Sabha.
'The Govt Only Wants Control': Abhishek Manu Singhvi
Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi alleged that the NCT Bill is unconstitutional and renders the Delhi government powerless.
"This is the nature of the control-freak government. its identity badge is that of a fuming loser, whose approach is to control, control, control," said Singhvi.
"We must also oppose this Bill because some day, this anti-federal knock will also come at your doors," he added.
Here's his full address:
Oppn Moves Motions to Review Delhi NCT Bill
Opposition MPs Raghav Chadha and Tiruchi Siva moved motions for the NCT Bill to be sent for reviewing.
NCT Bill Tabled in Rajya Sabha
The NCT Bill, giving the Centre executive powers over the Delhi government, was tabled in the Rajya Sabha.
Lok Sabha Proceedings Resume
Lok Sabha proceedings resumed at 2:00 pm.
Congress Writes to Om Birla Against Nishikant Dubey's Conduct
Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan wrote to Speaker Om Birla objecting to BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's comments on the party in Lok Sabha.
"We demand under Rule 380 that his remarks be expunged in full and that an inquiry be conducted into how such an allegation was permitted to be raised on the record," the letter stated.
(Photo: Congress)
BJP MPs Target Rahul Gandhi on Day 1 of Parliament
While Rahul Gandhi attended his first session after being reinstated as the Lok Sabha MP, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey attacked him to say that the Congress is "colluding with the Chinese to divide India."
"I urge that Chinese funding to the Congress party be probed," he said.
Rahul Gandhi Attends Lok Sabha
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi attended the Lok Sabha proceedings at 12:00 pm.
Lok Sabha Resumes Proceedings
Lok Sabha proceedings resumed at 12:00 pm.
Rahul Gandhi Arrives in Parliament
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi returned to the Parliament after his Lok Sabha membership was restored on Monday, following the Supreme Court's stay on his conviction in the 'Modi' surname defamation case.
Rajya Sabha Adjourned
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2:00 pm.
'Rajasthan Issues Should be Discussed at the Earliest': Piyush Goyal
While slamming the Opposition, Unon Minister Piyush Goyal in the Lok Sabha said that a discussion on issues in Rajasthan should be listed at the earliest.
"The House is ready to discuss the Manipur issue since day 1. It was discussed in joint meetings and a discussion was attempted as well. But it's sad to see that the Opposition is avoiding the discussion. They have no concern for Manipur in their hearts. They want that in some way or the other, their secrets don't get revealed in the discussions. I also urge that a discussion on events in Rajasthan should be listed at the earliest," he said.
Lok Sabha Adjourned Till 12 PM
Barely two minutes after the Lok Sabha resumed functioning on Monday, Speaker Om Birla adjourned the House till 12 PM amid sloganeering by the Opposition.
Both Houses Resume
The sessions of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha resumed at 11:00 AM on Monday, 7 August.
INDIA Leaders Celebrate After Rahul's Reinstatement as an MP
INDIA leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Derek O'Brien, were seen celebrating and eating sweets after the restoration of Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha membership.
Rahul Gandhi Reinstated as Lok Sabha MP
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha membership was restored on Monday, 7 August, days after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction in the 'Modi' surname defamation case.
The Congress had been pushing for the revival of Gandhi's status as an MP and his return to Parliament since the Supreme Court's judgment.
The notice on the restoration of Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha membership.
(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)
'Will Do Everything...': Raghav Chadha on Delhi Services Bill
AAP MP Raghav Chadha said that his party and the INDIA grouping will do "everything possible" to oppose the Delhi services Bill in the Rajya Sabha.
"We will stop this bill through the legislative process as well as the Judicial process. This is a bill to enslave the 2 crore people of Delhi, this nullifies the voting right of 2 crore people," he told news agency ANI.
Will Rahul Gandhi Attend the Monsoon Session?
The Congress has been pushing for the revival of Rahul Gandhi's status as an MP and his return to Parliament, following the stay on his conviction by the Supreme Court in the 'Modi' surname defamation case.
Whether Gandhi will be able to attend the ongoing Monsoon Session depends on how quickly the Lok Sabha Secretariat revives his status as an MP.
INDIA Floor Leaders To Hold Strategy Meeting
Floor leaders of the INDIA grouping will hold a meeting in the chambers of Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge to discuss their strategy on the floor of both Houses.
Delhi Services Bill To Be Tabled in Rajya Sabha
The contentious National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 is scheduled to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, 7 August. The Bill had been cleared by the Lok Sabha last week.
If passed in the Upper House, the Bill will give the Centre greater control over services and the posting of officers in the national capital.
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Published: 07 Aug 2023,09:41 AM IST