Parliament Session Highlights: Condemn Oppn’s charges that states ignored in Budget, says FM

Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati on Wednesday said the recent spat between the opposition and treasury benches in Lok Sabha over a caste remark was a "drama" and an "attempt to deceive the OBC community". Mayawati said both BJP and Congress have a history of remaining "fiercely anti-OBC", so they cannot be trusted.

BJP leader Anurag Thakur's apparent reference to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's caste during a discussion on the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday triggered a spat between the opposition and treasury benches.

"Yesterday in the Parliament, the ongoing dispute between Congress and BJP etc. especially on caste and caste census was a drama and an attempt to deceive the OBC community, because the history of both the parties regarding their reservation has been fiercely anti-OBC, both openly and behind the scenes. It is not right to trust them," Mayawati wrote on X in Hindi on Wednesday.

A total of 377 people have died from 2019 to 2023 while hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks but there is no report of practice of manual scavenging in the country, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

Responding to a question in the House, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale listed the steps taken for effective implementation of Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013.

In response to another question on the number of people engaged in manual scavenging, Athawale said, "There is no report of practice of manual scavenging currently in the country".

Lok Sabha MP NK Premachandran on Wednesday expressed concerns over safety aspects of the Indian Railways and said the budget allocation for these issues is insufficient.

Premchandran, a member of the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), said safety of passengers should be a government priority.

If the government was able to manufacture and install the automatic train-protection system, 'Kavach', in almost all the trains, so many lives could have been saved, he said.

Two-time MP Dhairyasheel Mane has been appointed as the deputy leader of Shiv Sena's parliamentary party in the Lok Sabha.

In a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who heads the ruling Shiv Sena, said a meeting was held in Delhi on June 7 under his chairmanship.

"In the same meeting Lok Sabha MP Dhariyasheel Mane was unanimously selected and appointed as the deputy leader of Shiv Sena parliamentary party in the Lok Sabha," the letter dated July 25 said.

Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday asserted that advance warnings on heavy rainfall in Kerala were issued to the state government at least a week ahead of the deadly landslides in Wayanad that have left a trail of death and destruction.

Replying to a discussion on the Calling Attention Motion in the Lok Sabha, he said the Centre had sent eight teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on July 23 to assist the Kerala government in any eventuality of a disaster.

The Lok Sabha MPs of the opposition parties on Wednesday expressed their concern over the increase in number of train accidents in the country while those of the treasury benches lauded the government's efforts to expand the railway network.

The Lower House discussed the Demand for Grants for the Railway Ministry. As it discussed the allocations for the Indian Railways, several members also presented their demands for railway lines in their areas.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP from Aurangabad, Abhay Kumar Sinha, said the recent rail accidents indicate there are many shortcomings which need to be looked at.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot said on Wednesday that the kind of words BJP MP Anurag Thakur used in Lok Sabha on Tuesday are reprehensible.

He said people sitting in Parliament should not use such language.

“I am very sorry about the statements made in the House yesterday. The ruling party leaders targeted Rahul Gandhi. Talking about caste, religion and society does not suit the parliamentary system,” Pilot said.

“We have been constantly demanding the same. The honourable Finance Minister was talking about the various schemes of insurance which the central government is providing, but apart from that, the tax GST on health insurance is something which we have raised in the past also, and we support Nitin Gadkari's request," says Congress MP Hibi Eden on Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's request to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to withdraw the 18 percent goods and services tax (GST) on life and medical insurance premiums.

On BJP MP Tejasvi Surya's statement on the Wayanad landslide, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, "It is very unfortunate that someone speaking in Parliament unnecessarily politicises humanity in times of crisis...It is feared that by the time the rescue operation is over we will have lost more than 200 lives...Not everything in our country is politics."

Tax devolution is recommended by Finance Commission as net proceeds, calculated after deducting cess, surcharge and cost of collection from gross tax receipts. The net tax proceeds of the Centre are certified by CAG. The Centre sends 41% share of tax devolution to states on time.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the Rajya Sabha, “Want to dispel the argument that the Centre cuts borrowing limit of some states. It's based on uniform guidelines at 3% borrowing ceiling for all states.

“Additional 0.5% borrowing of GSDP is linked to power sector reforms,” she added.

“India's inflation in 2022-23 was much lower than the global average, whereas, after COVID-19, many economies faced double digit inflation,” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the Rajya Sabha.

“Strategic policies adopted by India to contain inflation included the free foodgrain scheme, offloading of wheat and rice under open market, price stabilisation funds which maintain buffer stock of pulses. Duty on crude edible oil was cut too,” she added.

An SBI research report published in July 2024 stated that India created 12.5 crore jobs between 2014 and 2023 compared to 2.9 crore jobs created between 2004 and 2014. So, the distinct increase in the jobs created during the 10 years under Prime Minister Modi's leadership has to be highlighted.

Domestic inflation used to be higher than global average under UPA. High fiscal deficit, reduced capex, led to double digit average Inflation at 10.1% compared to 3.9% across emerging markets, during UPA.

In the last 10 years, inflation has been at an average of 5.1% as compared to a 5.8% average in emerging economies.

-- Under PMFBY Rs 1.5 lakh crore disbursed till today to farmers

-- Cess money not retained by Centre, but spent on agriculture infrastructure creation

-- Fish production has doubled to 175 lakh metric tonnes in 10 years

-- Nine new AIIMs completed and 15 more sanctioned in 10 years

-- The package in Budget for internships, along with increase in Mudra yojana is expected to make a difference in skilling and employment

“I condemn Opposition’s allegation that states have been ignored in the 2024 Budget; it's an attempt to mislead people,” says FM Sitharaman.

“During the earlier budgets also only some states were mentioned, that does not mean the other states were not receiving funds. It's a deliberate attempt to mislead,” she adds.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman says, “Public finances of Jammu & Kashmir is back on rails. The administration is showing efficiency in tax collection in the UT. Unemployment rate has come down to 4.4% in 2022-23 in J&K.”

FM Sitharaman says, “From 2026-27 onwards, we will adhere to a path to ensure that the central government debt as a percentage of GDP is at a declining trend.”

“The govt has always maintained fiscal prudence as one of the important governance principles… From the low levels of GDP during the Covid-19 pandemic, India has become the fastest growing economy,” she adds.

“Agriculture and allied sectors in Budget 24-25 receive Rs 1.52 lakh crores, which is Rs 8,000 crores more than the last year. In comparison, in the 2013-14 Budget, when the UPA government term was over, they had given only Rs 30,000 crore,” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says in Rajya Sabha.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the Rajya Sabha that the total expenditure in Budget the statement is at Rs 48.12 lakh crore. “The total expenditure in full Budget is Rs 54744 crore more than interim Budget,” she added.

Capex allocation during 10 years of UPA was Rs 13.19 lakh crore while in 10 years of NDA till 2024 it was Rs 43.82 lakh crore, she pointed out.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the Rajya Sabha on July 31 that the Government is well on track to attain the target of 4.5% fiscal deficit by 2025-26.

She also said that India now already produces 97% of all the total mobile phones in demand in the country and 30% of the total production of mobile phones in India in the year 2023-24 has gone for exports

FM Sitharaman added, “We are working towards establishing three centres of excellence in top education institutions for realizing the vision of make AI in India and make AI work for India.”

The Finance Minister says that the Budget 2024 balances growth, employment, welfare spending, capital investments, and fiscal consolidation.

Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi has filed a Privilege Motion in the Lok Sabha against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for endorsing BJP MP Anurag Thakur's controversial speech. Modi had shared Thakur’s speech on X, calling it a “must hear,” which Congress views as a breach of parliamentary privilege. The party criticizes the endorsement as encouraging what they describe as an "abusive and unconstitutional tirade."

Amit Shah revealed in Parliament that nine NDRF battalions were deployed in Wayanad following an alert on July 23, with three additional teams sent on Tuesday. He suggested that earlier action might have mitigated the disaster's severity.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated in Parliament that the Centre had issued a warning to Kerala a week before the Wayanad landslide.

BJP MP Surendra Singh Nagar criticized the former MP from Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi, for not addressing the region's issues in Parliament. He argued that tackling encroachments could have prevented some of the recent deaths and noted that Gandhi had not visited Wayanad during his term, causing uproar among the members.

The Lok Sabha was disrupted as Opposition members demanded an apology from BJP leader Anurag Thakur for his remarks about Rahul Gandhi. They also pressed for a caste census.

BJP MP Arun Singh announced that the Prime Minister has declared a compensation of ₹2 lakhs for the families of those who died in the Wayanad landslide, and ₹50,000 for the injured. Singh noted that the NDRF and rescue helicopters have saved over 400 people so far.

RJD MP Manoj Jha commented on the Wayanad landslides, saying, "Such accidents teach a lesson." He stressed the importance of improved coordination between the central and state governments for effective rescue and relief operations.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has appealed to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to remove the 18% GST on life and medical insurance premiums, calling it a "tax on life's uncertainties."

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has strongly criticized Congress for its emphasis on caste-related issues. Rijiju accused Congress of attempting to divide the country along caste lines, questioning the party's motives and highlighting its inconsistency in addressing caste matters, including Rahul Gandhi's caste. He argued that Congress's actions aim to weaken democracy and the economy, and to incite anarchy and violence.

Congress will address the issues of caste census and women's reservation in the Lok Sabha today. Congress whip Manickam Tagore has moved an adjournment motion to bring these topics to the forefront of the parliamentary discussion.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has responded to TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee's call for a White Paper, asserting that the government will present a White Paper detailing corruption in Bengal. Addressing the recent Wayanad landslides, Joshi termed the event an unfortunate natural disaster and assured that the Government of India will provide all necessary support to the state government.

BJP MP Kavita Patidar has requested the introduction of separate baby berths on all trains, citing a provision launched on Mother’s Day as a successful initiative. She advocates for dedicated spaces to ensure privacy for mothers while feeding their babies.

A moment of silence was observed for the victims of the Wayanad landslide during the General Body meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party in Parliament.

During today’s Budget Session, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will propose a motion for electing members to the Committee on Official Language in the Rajya Sabha. In the Lok Sabha, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and Congress Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi will present the Second Report of the Business Advisory Committee.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded Anurag Thakur’s Lok Sabha speech, calling it a "must hear" for its effective blend of facts and humor. Modi praised Thakur’s counter to Rahul Gandhi’s address, describing it as a compelling critique of the INDIA Alliance's politics. In his speech, Thakur used Gandhi's references to the Chakravyuh to challenge Congress, addressing past scandals and caste quota issues.

Congress MP Manish Tewari has submitted an Adjournment Motion notice in the Lok Sabha to initiate a discussion on the border situation and the significant trade deficit with China.

During the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament, BJP MP Anurag Thakur took aim at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his recent comments linking the current political situation to the Mahabharata and its "Chakravyuh." Thakur derided Gandhi's understanding of Hindu epics, labeling some as "accidental Hindus" who lack deep knowledge of texts like the Mahabharata.

Thakur’s critique was a rebuttal to Gandhi’s July 29 speech, where Gandhi drew parallels between modern politics and the ancient epic. Thakur accused Gandhi of factual inaccuracies and suggested he consult Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s novel, *The Great Indian Novel*, for better insight.

Thakur also criticized Congress's historical decisions, highlighting seven "Chakravyuhs" tied to past leaders, including the Kashmir issue, the Emergency, and the Bofors scandal. He contrasted these with the BJP’s governance, asserting that the Modi administration has freed the nation from Congress's legacy.

Additionally, Thakur defended the BJP's lotus symbol, which Gandhi had criticized, emphasizing its cultural and religious significance in India.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has called on Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar to collaborate and address the party's internal challenges. Following the recent Lok Sabha elections, where Congress secured only nine out of 28 seats, Gandhi stressed the need to unite the state unit and analyze the factors behind the underwhelming performance. This move aims to strengthen the party and tackle factionalism within its ranks.

BJP leader Anurag Thakur's remarks about Rahul Gandhi's caste during a Lok Sabha discussion on the Union Budget have ignited a heated dispute. Gandhi accused Thakur of insult but declined to seek an apology, asserting that the caste census will be addressed in Parliament. The comments led to Congress members storming the Well of the Lok Sabha.

As the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha resume proceedings today, intense debates are expected over the Union Budget and the tragic deaths at a Delhi coaching centre.

The 18th Lok Sabha commenced its first Budget Session on July 22, with 16 sittings scheduled until August 12. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her seventh consecutive Budget on July 23, surpassing Morarji Desai's record. This marks the first Budget of the re-elected BJP-led NDA government. The Congress has accused the Budget of discriminating against Opposition-ruled states, highlighting that only two states were mentioned in Sitharaman's speech. Meanwhile, the Upper House discussed the tragic deaths of students at a Delhi IAS coaching institute.

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