As the proceedings of the Budget Session of Parliament continue, the Lok Sabha assembled at 4 pm on Thursday, 3 February, and resumed the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address.
A Question Hour was conducted in the Upper House earlier. A number of reports were tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday by the Parliamentary Standing Committees on Transport, Tourism and Culture, as well as the Joint Committee on Offices of Profit.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had said in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that the President's Address had glossed over the failures of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government, such as unemployment.
His remarks on the Pakistan-China relationship, Pegasus, and other issues were met with vehement opposition from BJP ministers.
The Budget Session of Parliament began on Monday, 31 January, with the President's Address.
The first leg of the Budget Session will end on 11 February. The second part of the session is scheduled from 14 March to 8 April. Standing committees will evaluate the budgetary allocations in the recess.
Due to the prevailing COVID-19 outbreak, the Rajya Sabha will sit from 10 am to 3 pm, and the Lok Sabha from 4 pm to 9 pm.
The Congress had, on Monday, moved a privilege motion against IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in both Houses for "misleading" them on the Pegasus spyware issue.
Lok Sabha Adjourned
Lok Sabha has been adjourned till tomorrow, 4 February.
'Govt Stands Accused of Spending Taxpayers' Money To Spy on Its Own Citizens': Moitra
TMC MP Mahua Moitra brought up issues, such as farm laws, the consequent farmer deaths, the Pegasus 'mess', Bulli Bai deals, and arrests of journalists Siddique Kappan and comedian Munawar Faruqui, while speaking about the President's Address.
"The government stands accused of having spent taxpayers' money to buy technology to spy on its own citizens," Moitra declared in the Lower House.
She added, "You (BJP government) mistrust our annadaatas who repeatedly told you not to bring farm laws. even when you rolled them back, I think it was most your fear of losing 70 seats in western UP than any remorse you felt for 700+ farmers that passed away."
The MP went on to urge the Centre to remove the Minster of State, the MP of Kheri, whose son stands accused of mowing down farmers in Lakhimpur.
Following her speech, the MP spoke to reporters and said:
'This Govt Wants to Alter History': TMC MP Mahua Moitra
TMC MP Mahua Moitra spoke about the President's Address in the Lower House, saying that she "vehemently disagrees with the president's assessment of the state of the union today."
The leader said, "This government wants to alter history...and the invocation of an imaginary past goes on and on. The appropriation of Bhagat Singh, who was staunchly anti-fascist, the appropriation of Patel, who banned the RSS after becoming Home Minister."
Resuming her censure of the government, Moitra said, "The address refers to Netaji on multiple occasions, this is the same man who said the Indian government should have a neutral attitude to all religions. Would Netaji have approved of the Haridwar Dharam Sansad, that issues calls of Muslim genocide?"