Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Anand Sharma protest in front of Gandhi statue.
Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Anand Sharma protested in front of the Gandhi statue in the Parliament today. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi told news agency ANI: "We are protesting against Karnataka and Goa issue."
Uproar by Opposition Congress over political crisis in Karnataka stalled major part of proceedings in the Rajya Sabha yesterday while the Congress, Trinamool Congress and several other Opposition parties on Wednesday staged a walkout from the Lok Sabha alleging that the central government was destabilising the ruling Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka.
The parliament is scheduled to consider the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2019 today and discussion and voting on the Demands for Grants under the control of the Ministry of Railways for 2019-20 is also expected to take place. A discussion on the union Budget 2019 is scheduled to take place in the Rajya Sabha today.
Here are the LIVE Updates from the Parliament:
DMK leader Kanimozhi in Lok Sabha says: "I would like to tell the government that any attempt to corporatise or privatise Indian Railways or the Salem Steel Plant will be resisted by the people of Tamil Nadu, the DMK and my leader MK Stalin."
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant arrives at the Parliament with two of the 10 Congress legislators who have merged with BJP. The leaders will meet BJP President Amit Shah and Working President JP Nadda later today.
Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha:
The farmers in the country are suffering. I would like to draw the government's attention towards it. No concrete steps were taken in the Union Budget to provide relief to the farmers.
"I would like to request the Central government to direct the RBI to consider the moratorium by Kerala government and ensure that banks don't threaten farmers with recovery notice."
Yesterday, a farmer in Wayanad committed suicide due to debt, says Mr Gandhi. "In Wayanad, bank notices for non-payment of loans given to 8,000 farmers. Under a relevant act, their properties are attached against their bank loans, this is resulting in rise in farmers suicide."
Congress stages walkout from Rajya Sabha
Congress members have walked out of the Lok Sabha over the political situation in Karnataka and Goa where many of its legislators have either quit the House or joined the BJP.
The House was plunged into uproar when a Congress request to raise the issue during Zero Hour was not allowed by Speaker Om Birla.
The agitated Congress leaders then trooped out of the House. This was the party's third walkout in as many days.
Congress MP P Chidambaram in Rajya Sabha says: "I wish I was speaking under happier circumstances. I'm not unhappy only because India lost cricket match yesterday, I'm very unhappy that democracy is suffering a blow every day."
"What we have seen in Karnataka, Goa might appear to be political upmanship but it has a very damaging effect on the economy. Foreign investors, rating agencies, international organisations don't follow Indian media. What they hear and read on political instability will have an impact on the economy," he adds.