Parliament Winter Session Highlights: Lok Sabha adjourns after Constitution debate, to resume on Dec 14

The government informed the Lok Sabha that most Indian nationals in the Russian armed forces have been discharged, with only 19 still serving. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh provided this data in response to queries about their repatriation, deployment on the war front, and measures for their release.

Congress MP Hibi Eden emphasized the need to protect the Constitution, quoting B.R. Ambedkar and criticizing the RSS for allegedly promoting caste laws from Manusmriti. He highlighted that despite differences between Ambedkar and Nehru, the Constitution endured.

Amid uproar and disruptions caused by members of the treasury benches, the Lok Sabha was adjourned for 30 minutes.

In Parliament, Congress leaders on Friday strongly condemned the BJP's actions and accused them of crushing democracy and insulting the Leader of Opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge.

Congress MP Randeep Surjewala criticized the BJP and called it a "black chapter" in Parliament. He alleged that the Chairman of the Upper House and the BJP are conspiring to humiliate Kharge, a Dalit and a farmer.

Rajeev Shukla pointed out the BJP's hypocrisy in creating a ruckus in the House and making allegations against Kharge. He stated that the ruling party's behaviour is wrong and that people are angry with their actions.

On Priyanka Gandhi's first-ever speech in the Parliament, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Excellent speech. Very good. She put all the facts before the Government - how the Constitution is being misused and they are not protecting women & people of this country...We are very happy about her performance."

In Lok Sabha, Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Akhilesh Yadav said, "...Until economic disparities end, people won't get political justice...People are jailed when they speak out against injustice. Right to Express means Treason. If you belong to a different religion, you deserve atrocity. Now there are are issues over worshipping too because elements who are looking for a temple under every mosque do not want this country to be in peace. They do not care about law. I would like to thank the Supreme Coury that they passed an order that for a few days this has been prohibited."

In Lok Sabha, SP MP Akhilesh Yadav said, "Minister said - have a caste census if you want...Whenever we will get a chance, we will conduct a Caste Census. Caste Census will never create differences in castes. Caste Census will bridge the gap between castes and people of society who did not get justice, rights - they will get rights and respect after Caste Census. So, we support this."

On Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's address in the Lok Sabha, BJP MP Ravi Kishan said to ANI, "Her (Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) script was very weak, it had a lot of errors. When the truth is not supported by the facts, this kind of situation emerges. I extend best wishes to her as she spoke in the parliament for the first time. PM Modi will give a reply to all the opposition leaders tomorrow"

"Wonderful speech. Better than my maiden speech, let's put it like that," says Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi on the maiden address of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Lok Sabha

Speaking in Lok Sabha during discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India, SP MP Akhilesh Yadav says, "This Constitution is our armour, our security, it provides us strength from time to time. Constitution is the true guardian of the rights of the oppressed, neglected, suppressed and deprived. This Constitution is a great help. For people like us and the weak in the country, especially for PDA, saving the Constitution is a matter of life and death."

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav began addressing the Lok Sabha during the ongoing debate on Constitution.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, during her address in Lok Sabha, slammed the BJP saying they were silent when the demand for caste census was raised.

She said, "Today, people of the country are demanding that there be a Caste Census. BJP colleague mentioned about this, the mention was also made only because of the results in the Lok Sabha elections. The caste census is essential so that we know the condition of everyone and policies can be made accordingly..."

Priyanka Gandhi came down heavily on BJP-led NDA during her address in the Lok Sabha. She said, "All responsibility rests upon Jawaharlal Nehru, why don’t you talk about the present…Agriculture laws are framed for powerful people… All airports, road, railway works are being given to one person. Government is favouring Adani….People used to believe that Constitution will protect them, but now they have lost trust."

Speaking in Lok Sabha during discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, "A few people from the bereaved families of Sambhal had come to meet us. There were two children among them - Adnan and Uzair. One of them was my son's age and the other was younger, 17 years of age. Their father was a tailor. The tailor had just one dream - that he would get his children educated, one son would become a doctor and the other too would be successful...The Police shot their father dead. The 17-year-old Adnan told me that he would grow up to be a doctor and realise his father's dream. This dream and hope was instilled in his heart by the Constitution of India..."

During her maiden address in Lok Sabha, Congress MP from Wayanad Priyanka Gandhi said, "If the results of the general elections had been different, they (BJP) would have started changing the Constitution."

"The truth is that today the Constitution is being repeatedly spoken of because in this election, they realised that the people of this country will keep the Constitution safe," Priyanka Gandhi added.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra made her maiden address in the Lok Sabha on Friday. She is speaking during discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India.

In his speech on the Constitution, Rajnath Singh drew parallels with the Mahabharat, stating, "Mahabharat has asked the king to follow Raj Dharma... Our Constitution is also committed to the good of the people." He stressed that India’s Constitution allows individuals from humble backgrounds to rise to positions like Prime Minister or President. Singh also highlighted government initiatives such as affordable housing, free treatment, and women-led development through policies like the Naari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. He mentioned the OBC Commission's constitutional status and EWS quota as examples of constitutional values in action. He concluded with a nod to the original Constitution’s depictions, including Lord Ram, Sita, Lakshman, and the lotus, symbolizing India's emergence from centuries of colonial rule.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated that, unlike many countries that inherited their constitutions from colonial powers, India’s Constitution was crafted by its people, reflecting the nation’s true values. He noted that this is why it remains strong even today. Singh also took a jab at the Opposition for disrespecting the Parliament and the Constitution on multiple occasions. Without directly naming Congress, he accused one party of attempting to hijack the Constitution.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasized that the vision of national icons like Madan Mohan Malviya, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bhagat Singh, and Veer Savarkar played a significant role in shaping India's Constitution. Speaking during the ongoing Parliament Winter Session, Singh highlighted that the contributions of these leaders in the making of the Constitution have often been overlooked. He stressed that the Constitution is not just a legal document, but a reflection of India’s civilisational values.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday opened the debate on Constitution in Lok Sabha. The debate is scheduled to continue till 5 pm on Saturday with PM Modi set to address the House tomorrow.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra made her maiden address in the Lok Sabha on Friday. She is speaking during discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India.

On Friday, Congress MP Manickam Tagore wrote a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and urged him to expunge remarks made by BJP leader Nishikant Dubey. Dubey reportedly made remarks against Congress leaders in the Lower House during the ongoing Winter Session. Tagore termed the remarks as "derogatory" and "disparaginng".

When asked about 'One Nation, One Election', Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "We will see what is in the bill. How they will do it, we will see all the things and then we will react to it..."

Stormy scenes are likely to be witnessed in the Lok Sabha on Friday with a two-day debate on Constitution scheduled to take place. On the first day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will begin the discussion, with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi likely to address the Lower House. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the Parliament on Saturday.

Congress leader and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi is likely to address the Lok Sabha on Friday during the two-day debate on Constitution.

The debate on Constitution comes in the backdrop of the Opposition parties alleging threat to it with the BJP being at the Centre. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and several other Opposition leaders have held pocket sized Constitution in their hands during campaigns for the Lok Sabha elections across the country.

The debate on Constitution is being held on Friday to mark the beginning of the 75th year of its adoption. The Constituent Assembly adopted the Constitution of India on November 26, 1949 and it came into effect on January 26, 1950.

While January 26 is celebrated as Republic Day, since 2015, November 26 is annually observed as the Constitution Day of India, or Samvidhan Divas.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday alleged that many autonomous bodies are being misused. His statement came ahead of the debate on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha today.

"We have put this condition that there should be discussion on the Constitution. Many unconstitutional things are going on, many autonomous bodies are being misused, the governance in the country is not good, so we want a debate so that everyone can know how the governance is going on," Kharge told ANI.

Apart from PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, also expected to speak are TR Baalu and A Raja from Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK, as well as Mahua Moitra and Kalyan Banerjee from the Trinamool Congress. Ms. Moitra's speech will be of particular interest due to her controversial expulsion in the final weeks of the last Lok Sabha.

As the Parliament gears up for a debate on the Constitution, we revisit BR Ambedkar’s closing speech to the Constituent Assembly where he flagged issues that have contemporary resonance: putting form over substance and partisan loyalties over country. The speech also flags the risk of “Bhakti” worship in politics and the unfinished task of transforming India’s political democracy into a social democracy (Read More)

According to an NDTV report, the BJP plans to target the Congress over the Emergency imposed by former Prime Minister and party stalwart Indira Gandhi. This strategy is expected to echo the party's strong criticism during the June session of Parliament, which was the first after Modi secured a third consecutive term, albeit with a reduced majority.

The Congress, in no mood to leave any stone unturned, will be leading the opposition charge with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The ruling party, on other hand, has deployed its top leadership, including PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister JP Nadda, to make sure that they emerge on top of the debate. (Read More)

According to an Indian Express report, the Congress is planning to nominate newly-elected MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the first speaker for the special debate on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha. The decision was made during a Congress Parliamentary Strategy Group meeting held on Thursday evening in Delhi, the report says, citing sources.

The opposition Congress held a strategy meeting at the party headquarters, attended by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, and other senior leaders, including K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh. The meeting focused on planning the party's strategy in Parliament for the upcoming week.

As per the agreement with the Opposition, the BJP-led NDA government agreed to hold a debate on the Constitution on December 13-14 in the Lok Sabha and on December 16-17 in the Rajya Sabha.

• On November 26, 1949, the Indian Constituent Assembly formally adopted the Constitution, which came into effect on January 26, 1950, marking the establishment of India as a sovereign, democratic republic.
• In 2015, the Government of India officially declared November 26 as Constitution Day (Samvidhan Divas) to commemorate the adoption of the Indian Constitution. Since then, the nation has celebrated this significant day each year.

During the meeting held earlier this month, Speaker Om Birla had facilitated the discussions, with both government and Opposition parties agreeing on the dates for the debate. Opposition parties had long advocated for the debate, stressing the significance of commemorating this milestone in India's democratic journey.

The breakthrough came following discussions between Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and floor leaders of various parties. A consensus was reached, paving the way for discussions in both Houses of Parliament to mark the 75th anniversary of the Constitution's adoption by the Constituent Assembly.

A special debate on the Indian Constitution is scheduled to begin in the Lok Sabha today around noon as part of the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will kick off the debate, which is expected to continue until 5 pm on Saturday.