Prime Minister Narendra Modi exuded confidence today that the BJP and its allies will break records to score a grand win in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and took a swipe at the Opposition, saying its no-confidence motion will prove auspicious for the ruling alliance as it did in 2018.
 
In a sharp attack on opposition parties while replying to the no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha, he said they did not allow discussion to take place in Parliament on a number of bills related to the country's development.
 
Modi said when the Opposition had brought a similar motion in 2018, his government came to power for a second term with a bigger mandate in 2019. The Opposition's motion has proven auspicious for his government, he said.
 
Noting that people of the country have repeatedly shown their faith in his government, Modi expressed his thanks to them.
 "It is the country's confidence that when you bring another no-confidence motion in 2028, India will be the third largest economy in the world," he said, asserting that his dispensation has given a scam-free governance.
 
Targeting the Congress, he said its government at the Centre would trust the word of Pakistan over terror attacks and its misadventures on borders but not the valour of Indian armed forces. In Kashmir, it would not trust the common man in the region but separatists and others carrying Pakistan's flag.
 
That is why people's feelings of "no confidence" in the Congress is very deep, he said, accusing the party of seizing on any negative thing about India coming from foreign soil.
 
Opposition parties are marked by arrogance and no-confidence, Modi said, accusing them of suffering from "ostrich-like" mindset at a time when a new confidence, energy, and resolve has filled people of the country whose global credibility has been taken to "new heights".
 
Taking a swipe at them, he said they seem to have been blessed with a "secret boon" that anyone whom they wish ill will prosper. He was an example of this, Modi said, adding that he has been targeted for over 20 years but nothing happened.
 
Opposition leaders targeted banking sector, the public-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Life Insurance Corporation of India, the prime minister said, noting that government sector banks have made record profits.
 
Under the third term of our government Indian will become the third largest world economy, he said.
 
Modi said India is going through a very important and critical phase of time and its impact will be felt for the next 1,000 years. The strength and hard work of people will lay a strong foundation for the next 1,000 years, he added.
 
Hitting out at the Congress for the claim of some of its leaders that the size of Indian economy will grow "on its own", he said it shows that the party has no vision and policy. Nor has it any understanding of global economy of the strength of Indian economy, he added.
 
Earlier, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India is in a unique position of being optimistic and positive about its future growth when the global economy is struggling, and asserted the Modi government has transformed governance by delivering on its promises.
 
Speaking during the debate, she said developed countries such as the US and the UK, and the Euro zone are facing challenging times, while big economies such as China are also facing their own issues related to consumer demand and wage stagnation.
 
"UPA wasted a decade because of corruption and cronyism. Today, every crisis has been changed into an opportunity. We are living in high growth, low inflation, while it was the other way during UPA," she said.
 
The Minister said the banking sector improved under the NDA government, and said they had to clean the mess created under the UPA rule.
 
Taking a jibe at the Opposition alliance INDIA, the minister said it was difficult to figure out if they were fighting together or fighting each other.
 
Sitharaman also made an extensive reference to Tamil Nadu in her speech.
 
Referring to the Manipur incident, the minister said shaming and demeaning women is a concern for all whether it is in Manipur, Rajasthan or Delhi and should be taken seriously.
 
The minister also extensively talked about measures being taken to control prices and on the availability of tomatoes.
 
"Lot of steps have been taken to contain inflation. Group of Ministers has been taking timely steps to control prices which are hitting common people," she said.
 
Participating in the debate, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi lashed out at both the opposition and ruling fronts led by the Congress and the BJP and said that neither "dukandar" nor "chowkidar" opens their mouths when Muslims are oppressed.
 
Referring to the Uniform Civil Code, Owaisi said that it is a formula of dictators.
 
"UCC formula is that of one country, one religion, one culture, and one language. This is the formula of dictators. India is a bouquet, a mosaic where there are various languages and cultures," he said.
   
Participating in the debate, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra attacked the government and said the opposition's no-confidence motion was actually a "have confidence in INDIA motion" and was aimed at breaking the "omerta" on Manipur.
 
Participating in the debate, BJP leader and Civil Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said the opposition INDIA bloc is misusing the Manipur issue as a "launchpad" for themselves.
 
Scindia said the Opposition INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) is an arrogant bloc which got together in greed of power but have differences within themselves.
 
On the Manipur issue, Scindia said the "I.N.D.I.A is misusing the Manipur issue as a launchpad for themselves".
 
Hitting out Rahul Gandhi's 'Mohabbat ki dukan' slogan, Scindia, who was previously with Congress, said in their shop they have corruption, lies, appeasement and arrogance.
 
"You have changed the name of dukan but they are selling the same thing," he said.
 
"When Rahul Gandhi said that Manipur is not part of India… that is your thought process to see India in different parts, not ours," Scindia said.
   
He was responding to the BJP's slogan on the 81st anniversary of Quit India Movement calling for riddance of dynasticism, corruption, and appeasement politics.
 
He said the Congress only wanted the Prime Minister to give a message of peace to the people of Manipur and at least talk about it once in his 'Mann ki Baat'.
 
His comments evoked sharp reaction from Home Minister Amit Shah who urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to ask Chaudhary to exercise restraint and maintain the decorum of the House.
 
Chowdhury responded by saying why Shah was getting angry when the Prime Minister had no issues with his speech.
   
 Later, Speaker Om Birla expunged certain remarks of Chowdhury.
 
Responding to Shah's intervention yesterday in the Lok Sabha, Chowdhury said that the Home Minister should not have talked about creating a "buffer zone" between the two communities in Manipur.
 
 The Congress leader said that the buffer zone is there in the Line of Control between the two countries.
 
Chowdhury also regretted that two MPs from Manipur have not been allowed to speak in the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha.
 
The Government today introduced the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023 in the Rajya Sabha amid intensified uproar by the opposition members.
   
The Bill seeking to replace the Chief Justice of India (CJI) with a cabinet minister in the panel for selection of Chief Election Commissioner, Election Commissioners was tabled in the House by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.
   
According to the Bill, future chief election commissioners and election commissioners will be selected by a three-member panel headed by the prime minister and comprising the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and a cabinet minister.
   
Opposition parties, including the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, have raised strong objections to the Bill accusing the government of diluting a Supreme Court Constitution bench order.
   
The Bill comes months after the Supreme Court in March ruled that the selection panel should comprise the prime minister, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice of India till a law is framed by Parliament on the appointment of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners.
   
A vacancy will arise in the Election Commission early next year when Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey demits office on 14th of February 2024 on attaining the age of 65 years.
   
His retirement will come just days before the likely announcement of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections schedule by the commission. On the past two occasions, the commission had announced parliamentary polls in March.
   
The apex court in its verdict in March had aimed at insulating the appointment of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners from the Executive's interference.
   
The Bill seeks to regulate the appointment of the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners.
   
According to the Bill, the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of a selection committee consisting of the prime minister, who will be the chairperson; the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, and a Union Cabinet minister to be nominated by the Prime Minister.
   
It also states that the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners "shall not be invalid" merely by reason of any vacancy in or any defect in the constitution of the selection committee.
   
Parliament today passed the Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2023 with the Rajya Sabha approving.
 
The Bill allows persons qualified or registered under the Jammu and Kashmir Pharmacy Act to be registered as pharmacists under the Pharmacy Act, thus doing away with the ambiguity with regard to the two legislations.
 
Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya moved the Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2023 for consideration amidst opposition uproar. It was passed within minutes amid slogan shouting by the opposition members. The Lok Sabha has already passed the Bill earlier this week on August 7, 2023.
 
Moving the Bill Mandaviya said, this Bill has been brought for the welfare of the youths of Jammu and Kashmir.
   
After that Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw introduced the Post Office Bill, 2023 amid intensified sloganeering by the opposition members. The Bill replaces the Indian Post Office Act of 1898, stipulates fundamental matters on postal services, facilitates the development of the postal sector and protects the rights and interests of the users.
 
Later, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar adjourned the house for the day amid the relentless sloganeering by the opposition members who trooped into the well of the House.
   
Opposition INDIA bloc members in the Rajya Sabha Today proposed a discussion on Manipur under a rule that requires a resolution to be passed in the House but the ruling parties opposed their demand for the prime minister's presence forcing an adjournment in the pre-lunch session.
 
The opposition parties had till now been calling for a debate under Rule 267, which entails voting, and a statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The government has been insisting since the start of the Monsoon session on a short-duration discussion under Rule 176, which does not involve voting or any minister replying to the debate.
 
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge requested Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar to allow a discussion under Rule 167 in the prime minister's presence.
 
As the treasury benches protested this, Kharge quipped, "What will happen if the Prime Minister comes to the House? Is he parmaatma, he said adding that he is no God."
 
This led to a ruckus in the House forcing the chairman to adjourn the proceedings till 2 pm.
 
Earlier, after the papers were laid in the Upper House, Chairman Dhankhar said he received several notices on different issues, including three on the Manipur issue under Rule 167 and 168 from Tiruchi Shiva of DMK, Binoy Viswam of CPI and Elamaram Kareem of CPI-M.
 
The discussion on the Manipur issue was initiated in the House on 31st of July but due to disruptions, it could not fructify, he said, and asked the leaders of the political parties to decide on the rule first as this might provide an opportunity for a way out.
 
The Chairman also said that he would talk with political parties at the earliest at 1 pm. Later, he sought views on Rule 167 from Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the House Piyush Goyal.
 
On this, Goyal charged that the opposition leaders were not ready to hold talks in his "chamber" to end the the three-week logjam in the House on the Manipur issue.
 
Goyal added that he and Parliament Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi went to the Leader of Opposition's office to persuade the opposition leaders to a discussion. He added that in the meeting, the opposition leaders gave a condition that Prime Minister Modi should be present in the House during the debate, which he and Joshi refused.
 
Alleging that Goyal is stating a different version of the outcome of the meeting held at Leader of opposition's office, Kharge said in the meeting, it was decided that the discussion can happen under Rule 167. What is the problem now? You had agreed, you had given a proposal and now, you are stating something else after coming out of my room.
 
Tiruchi Siva of the DMK said both sides could not reach a common point in the last 14-15 days. He said that in pursuance of the chairman's appeal, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A.) has evolved an alternative route to discuss the Manipur issue under Rule 167.
 
On this, Chairman Dhankhar said Siva has raised a valid point and this stalemate has not "earned us any respect".
 
Kharge requested the chairman to allow the discussion under Rule 167 and let the prime minister be present in the House so that the opposition members could express their views in his presence.
 
After this, sloganeering intensified in the House, forcing the Chair to adjourn the proceedings till 2 pm.
 
In the post-lunch session, the Chairman informed that he had interacted with floor leaders after the house was adjourned earlier and the discussions ended with the parties concerned will engage in discussion and coming out with a mechanism so that a discussion, debate can fructify with respect to Manipur issues.
 
Raising a point of order, Derek O'Brien of TMC charged that the government is disrupting Parliament and asked Dhankhar to help to preserve order in the house. Leader of the House, Piyush Goyal strongly objected to O'Brien's remarks.
 
The House witnessed some rare light moments when Kharge recited a couplet to portray how the treasury benches were harassing the opposition members by repeatedly disrupting their speeches.
 
Replying to this Goyal said, "This is a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black".
 
The chairman took up the legislative business and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023 amid intensified uproar from the opposition members. The motion for the introduction of the bill was passed with a voice vote amid the din.
 
Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics, and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw introduced the Post Office Bill, 2023 amid intensified sloganeering by the opposition members.
 
Minister for Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya moved the Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and was passed within minutes amid slogan shouting by the opposition members.
 
Later, Dhankhar adjourned the house for the day amid the relentless sloganeering by the opposition members who trooped into the well of the house.