Parliament Winter Session: PM Modi's Address, Raghav Chadha's Lifted Suspension

Addressing the reporters ahead of the Winter Session of the Parliament on Monday, 4 December, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Assembly election results show that the "nation has rejected negativity," and urged the Opposition to "not to vent its frustration of the Assembly polls defeat inside the House."

"If I speak on basis of the Assembly poll results, this is a golden opportunity for Opposition. Instead of making plans for venting frustration over defeat, they should learn from this defeat, leaving behind the habit of negativity of the last nine years, if they move forward with positivity this session, the country will change its views towards them."

PM Narendra Modi

The Winter Session of the Parliament is scheduled to take place from 4 to 22 December.

This comes a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, while Congress bagged a victory in Telangana.

Ethics Report on Mahua Moitra To Be Tabled

The Lok Sabha ethics committee, which questioned Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra in relation to the alleged cash-for-query case, is expected to table its report in the Parliament on Monday.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who first raised the quid pro quo allegations against Moitra, said, "Let the report be tabled. I don't know what is mentioned in the report...What I had to say, I said before the Ethics Committee...I will be able to make a comment only after the report is tabled."

On 15 October, Dubey had alleged that Moitra had accepted expensive gifts from real estate mogul Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for asking parliamentary questions targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The committee adopted its report on 9 November.

Bills To Be Tabled

During the 15-day session, the government is expected to table 19 bills in the Parliament. Here's a list of the following bills:

• The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023

• The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023

• The Bhartiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023

•  The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2023, as passed by Lok Sabha

• The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023, as passed by Rajya Sabha.

• The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023, as passed by Rajya Sabha.

• The Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023

• The Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023

• The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023

• The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023

• The Post Office Bill, 2023

• The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023

• The Boilers Bill, 2023

• The Provisional Collection of Taxes Bill, 2023

• The Central Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill 2023

• The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Amendment) Bill, 2023

• The Government of Union Territories (Amendmenty Bill, 2023

• The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill,2023

• The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2023

AAP MP Raghav Chadha's Suspension Revoked

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha was allowed to attend the Rajya Sabha proceedings for the Winter Session, after his suspension from the Upper House was revoked on Monday, 4 December.

"I had to approach the Supreme Court to get my suspension discontinued. It was after the Supreme Court's intervention that my suspension was ended," Chadha was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

"At least for 115 days, I was suspended. During those days, I could not ask your questions inside Parliament and was not able to raise your voice inside the House," the AAP leader said.

Chadha had been suspended during the Monsoon Session of Parliament for allegedly not obtaining the consent of five Rajya Sabha MPs before including their names in a proposed select committee.

Upon moving Supreme Court, Chadha had been directed to offer an unconditional apology to the Rajya Sabha Chairperson and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar.

Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha Adjourned

The proceedings of the Upper House of Parliament were adjourned till 11am on Tuesday, 5 December. Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha passed the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and was subsequently adjourned till 11am the next day.