What happened on Day 1 of Parliament Winter Session: 10 points

The Winter Session of the Parliament commenced with a lot of chaos. Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were both adjourned twice. Nonetheless, a few highlights came through the cantankerous Parliament.

Here are 10 things to know from the first day of the Winter Session of the Parliament:

1. FARM LAWS REPEAL BILL PASSED IN LS

The Farm Laws Repeal Bill was passed in Lok Sabha through a voice vote within 5 minutes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced on November 19 that the controversial farm laws – which has seen nationwide protests by farmers since last year – would be taken back in the next session of the Parliament.

2. OPPOSITION NOT HAPPY IN LS

The Opposition was not happy with the way the Farm Laws Repeal Bill was passed. The Opposition leaders kept sloganeering throughout the Lok Sabha session and throughout the passing of the Farm Laws Repeal Bill. Some trooped into the Lok Sabha well.

This forced Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to cut short the session twice. First, Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm, then it was adjourned till 11 am on Tuesday.

3. ‘NO DISCUSSION,’ CRIES CONGRESS

Congress hit out at the BJP-led government saying that they passed the Farm Laws Repeal Bill without any discussion. Congress floor leader at Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told Speaker Om Birla that the Bill mentioned a discussion, which was not being conducted.

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted that just like the Farm Laws were passed without discussion last year, its repeal Bill was also passed without the government answering any questions.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had asked the Opposition members to get their house in order to begin a discussion round. He also asked members to not troop into the well of the Parliament. Since the chaos continued, the Speaker said he was forced to cut the session short.

4. RAHUL GANDHI SAYS GOVT IS SCARED

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, reacting to the passing of Farm Laws Repeal Bill, claimed that the government did not allow any discussion since it was 'scared' of answering questions posed by the Opposition.

5. ‘FARMERS' PROTEST WILL CONTINUE’

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait said that the farmers' protest will continue despite the Farm Laws Repeal Bill being passed. He said that discussions regarding MSP and other issues are still pending and protests will continue till all the demands are met.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his last address, announcing the repeal of the laws, had asked protesting farmers to return home since the government was meeting their demand to retract the laws.

6. CHAOS IN RAJYA SABHA

The Farm Laws Repeal Bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha and also passed. The Bill was passed through a voice vote, without any discussion, and amid sloganeering by the Opposition.

7. A DOZEN RAJYA SABHA MEMBERS SUSPENDED

12 members of Rajya Sabha, from the Opposition, were suspended for the rest of the winter session following their indiscipline. Rajya Sabha was twice adjourned. It will resume on Tuesday.

8. FINANCE MINISTER RESPONDS TO BITCOIN QUESTION

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in response to a question on Bitcoin stated that the government has not received any proposal to recognise Bitcoin as a currency. She also added that the government doesn’t collect data on Bitcoin transactions.

The response comes following the government’s announcement to table a Cryptocurrency Regulation Bill in the ongoing session of the Parliament.

9. OVER 30 BILLS TO BE INTRODUCED

During the entire Winter Session, over 30 bills will be tabled by the government in the Parliament, including the Bill on Cryptocurrency.

10. PARLIAMENTARIANS EVADING MEDIA GAZE?  

Press Club of India pointed out that reporters have been kept out of the Press Gallery for the 5th consecutive session of the Parliament. The body said that it signalled the 'depressing trend' of parliamentarians trying to evade media gaze. 

The government had barred entry of journalists in the Parliament's press gallery citing Covid-19 protocols. Except for a handful of journalists, not all mediapersons are allowed entry.