The Rajya Sabha continued to witness stormy scenes for the fifth day today on the situation in Manipur with the opposition and the Treasury Benches clashing on the rule under which a discussion should be held.
 
The opposition demanded a discussion on the situation in Manipur under Rule 267 after the suspension of all other business, including the Zero Hour and the Question Hour. The Treasury Benches wanted a discussion on the situation in Manipur under Rule 176. They said that notice in this regard was admitted on the first day of the Monsoon session.
 
The House has taken up a debate on the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill 2022. The debate was held in the absence of the opposition which walked out in protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi not making a statement on the Manipur situation despite the demand by the opposition.
 
The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill, 2022, seeks to include the Hattee community of Trans Giri area of Sirmour district in the list of Scheduled Tribes in Himachal Pradesh.
 
The Bill, already passed in the Lok Sabha seeks to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, with respect to its application to Himachal Pradesh. The Order lists the tribal communities deemed to be Scheduled Tribes in states and union territories.
 
Proceedings of the House began with the Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar making a Reference to the 24th anniversary of the Kargil Diwas. The Chairman paid tribute to the soldiers who died in action during the Kargil war. The House observed a brief silence in memory of the soldiers.
 
The Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said that he has received 42 notices under rule 267 for discussion on the situation in Manipur.
 
He said ''In this regard on July 20, I have already said notices on short duration discussion on the same have been admitted. The government has also agreed for a discussion on the issue under Rule 176. So, notices received today are inadmissible, 'the Chairman said.
 
The Chairman said that he has received representation from several members for urgently holding a short duration discussion on the situation in Manipur. Chairman said he will fix a date soon for short duration discussion.
 
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman took exception to the language used by an opposition member against a ruling party member.
 
Tiruchi Siva of the DMK raised a point of order on Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge's Mike being switched off during his speech yesterday. Responding to this chairman said that 'with full sense of responsibility I state that mike was not switched off'.
 
Bhupinder Yadav of the BJP said the opposition was constantly obstructing the proceedings despite discussion on Manipur being admitted. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, clarifying on a member saying that Sanjay Singh was suspended because he wanted to raise an issue, said the member was suspended because of his behaviour and misconduct. He said that such behaviour could not be tolerated.
 
Thereafter, the Chairman allowed the Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to speak. Mr Kharge said that when he was speaking yesterday, his Mike was switched off when he wanted to speak on Manipur.
 
A clash ensued between the Opposition and the Treasury Benches.
 
 Amid the noisy scenes, the Chairman adjourned the House till Noon.
 
When the House reassembled the Chairman called for the Question Hour.
 
However, nothing could be heard amid noisy scenes from the opposition on Manipur.
 
Amid noisy scenes, Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Smriti Irani and Nitin Gadkari responded to the questions.
 
Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said that it was sad that members were not availing the opportunity to question the government during the Question Hour.
 
Thereafter, the Chairman called for raising Special Mentions amid the opposition uproar.
 
Raising a point of order, P Chidambaram of congress said that a list of questions raised in the upper House since the start of the Monsoon session shows that not a single question was asked on the situation in Manipur.
 
Treasury bench Members raised an uproar on Chidambaram's statement, saying that the member has cast aspersions on the Chairman.
 
The Chairman said that he was seized of the matter.
 He then adjourned the House till 2.00 PM.
 
Later when the House resumed, Deputy Chairman Harivansh called on Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda to move for consideration the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill 2022.
 
Even before the Minister stood up to speak, the Leader of the Opposition asked the chair to allow him to speak.
 
Mr Kharge said that his party and other opposition parties have been demanding that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a statement in the House on the Manipur situation. 
 
Soon after that Members of the Congress and other opposition parties staged a walkout of the House.
 
Deputy Chairman Harivansh called on Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda to move for consideration the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill 2022.
 
Initiating debate on the Bill, Mamata Mohanta of the Biju Janata Dal said that the Bill was a step towards empowerment of the tribal community.
 
Sumer Singh Solanki, Ramilaben Becharbhai Bara, Samir Oraon and Vinay Dinu Tendulkar all BJP are among others who participated in the discussion.
 
Replying to the debate, Tribal Affairs minister Arjun Munda said that the Bill is in line with the commitment of the Narendra Modi government to take steps towards empowerment of the tribal communities in the country.
 
''The intention of the government is to take all sections of society on the path of progress, 'he said.
 
After the Minister's reply, the Bill, with Amendments, was passed by a voice vote of the House.
 
The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill, 2022, seeks to include the Hattee community of Trans Giri area of Sirmour district in the list of Scheduled Tribes in Himachal Pradesh.
 
The Bill, already passed in the Lok Sabha, seeks to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, with respect to its application to Himachal Pradesh. The Order lists the tribal communities deemed to be Scheduled Tribes in states and union territories.
 
After the passage of the Bill, the House adjourned for the day. 
 
       
Lok Sabha today passed a Bill that seeks to exempt land within 100 km of the country's borders from the purview of conservation laws and permit setting up of zoos, safaris and eco-tourism facilities in forest areas.
   
During the day, proceedings in the House were repeatedly disrupted due to protests over the Manipur issue by the opposition which also brought a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government and it was admitted by Speaker Om Birla.
 
The government also introduced six Bills. 'The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023'; 'The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023'; The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023’; The Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023; 'The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023'; and 'The Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023'.
 
After two adjournments in the morning and afternoon, the House was adjourned for the day in the evening after it passed the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill-2023 after a brief debate which was responded to by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.
 
When the bill was taken up for consideration and passing, the opposition raised slogans and waved placards in the Well of the House demanding a statement from Prime Minister Modi in Parliament on the Manipur issue.
 
"We have encouraged social forestry, but still people have not taken it up fearing that they will not be able to cut trees grown on private land. India's agro-forestry imports are very large, particularly teak and other woods. We have provisions in the Bill to promote agro-forestry," Yadav said replying to the debate on the bill.
 
He said the Bill exempts certain types of land from the provisions of the Act such as forest land along rail line or a public road maintained by the government providing access to a habitation, or to a rail, and roadside amenity up to a maximum size of 0.10 hectare.
 
Forest land that will also be exempted includes land situated within 100 km along the international borders, Line of Control, or Line of Actual Control, proposed to be used for construction of strategic linear projects for national importance or security.
 
It also exempts land up to 10 hectares, proposed to be used for constructing security related infrastructure, or land proposed to be used for constructing defence related projects, camp for paramilitary forces, or public utility projects as specified by central government not exceeding five hectares in a left wing extremism affected area.
 
The Minister made it clear that there was no contradiction between the Forest (Conservation) Act and the Forest Rights Act as the two legislations supplement each other.
 
The Bill also seeks to empower the Central Government to specify, by order, the terms and conditions subject to which any survey, such as, reconnaissance, prospecting, investigation or exploration including seismic survey, shall not be treated as non-forest purpose.
 
He said the bill, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha in March, was referred to a Joint Committee of Parliament, which accepted the legislation without any significant changes.
 
The Congress moved an opposition-backed no-confidence motion against the government which was admitted by Speaker Om Birla. It has set the stage for a showdown between the opposition and treasury benches over Manipur and other burning issues.
 
Birla said he will inform the Members about the date for a discussion on the matter as per rules after discussing the same with leaders of all parties. 
 
After the House reassembled at Noon and papers were laid on the table, the Speaker said he has received a notice from Gogoi for moving a motion of no-confidence against the government.
 
He said, "I want to inform the House that I have received a motion expressing want of confidence in Council of Ministers from Gaurav Gogoi under rule 198. I request Gaurav Gogoi to seek the permission of the House for it. The resolution states 'This House expresses want of confidence in the council of ministers'," he said.
 
After Gogoi sought the permission of the House for the said motion, Birla asked members in favour of granting permission to admit the motion to stand up in their places for a head count.
 
Members belonging to the Opposition alliance bloc INDIA, including Congress parliamentary party chief Sonia Gandhi, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, DMK's T R Baalu and NCP leader Supriya Sule, stood up for the head count. Birla then admitted the motion of no-confidence.
   
The alliance of 26 opposition parties, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A.) had decided to move the motion in order to make Prime Minister Modi speak in Parliament on the Manipur violence, senior leaders of the front had said.
 
Earlier in the day, Nama Nageshwar Rao of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) also gave a notice to move a no-confidence motion against the Union Council of Ministers. The K Chandrashekar Rao-led BRS is not a part of the I.N.D.I.A. 
 
Although the no-confidence motion by the opposition parties is bound to fail the numbers test, they argue that they will win the battle of perception by cornering the government on the Manipur issue during the debate.
 
They contend that it is also a strategy to make the prime minister speak in Parliament on the crucial matter even as the government has been insisting that Union Home Minister Amit Shah will reply to the debate on the Manipur situation.
 
A no-confidence motion can be moved by any member of the Lok Sabha. Rule 198 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of the Lok Sabha specifies the procedure for moving a no-confidence motion. The Member has to give a written notice of the motion before 10 AM which will be read out by the Speaker in the House.
 
A minimum of 50 Members have to support the motion and the Speaker will accordingly announce the date for discussion for the motion. The allotted date has to be within 10 days from the day the motion is accepted. If not, the motion fails and the Member who moved the motion has to be informed about it. If the government is not able to prove its majority in the House, it has to resign.
 
The Lok Sabha currently has a strength of 543 seats of which five are vacant. The BJP-led NDA has over 330 Members, the opposition alliance I.N.D.I.A. has over 140 and over 60 members belong to parties not aligned to any of the two groups.
 
Earlier, when the House met for the day at 11 AM, protests began soon after members paid tributes to soldiers who had died in the Kargil war. Opposition Members sought to raise the issue of violence in Manipur with some displaying placards during Question Hour.
 
The second adjournment came after the no-confidence motion was moved and six bills were introduced amid protests.
 
Among the six legislations introduced, The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023 aims to allow use of birth certificate as single document for admission to an educational institution, issuance of driving licence, preparation of voter list, Aadhaar number, registration of marriage or appointment to a government job.
 
It will also help create a national and state-level database of registered births and deaths which eventually would ensure efficient and transparent delivery of public services and social benefits and digital registration.
 
The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 provides for nominating two Members, including a woman, from the Kashmiri migrant community and one Member from the displaced persons from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) to the legislative assembly of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
 
The Bill also provides for representation of Kashmiri migrants, displaced persons from PoK and Scheduled Tribes in the legislative assembly of Jammu and Kashmir so as to preserve their political rights as well as their overall social and economic development.
 
The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 seeks to change the nomenclature of a section of people who are eligible for reservation in appointment and admission in professional institutions in Jammu and Kashmir was introduced in the Lok Sabha today. It will change the nomenclature of "weak and underprivileged classes (social castes)" to "other backward classes" for getting reservation benefits in the Union Territory.