Parliament Budget Session Day 2 Highlights: Lok Sabha Adjourned Briefly Amid Congress Protest Over Sambit Patra’s Remarks

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said all financial support will be provided to Manipur for economic development as she stressed the overall law and order situation has improved in the northeastern state, except for some sporadic incidents.

The Minister was replying to the discussion on Supplementary Demands for Grant (SDG) Second Batch 2024-25, Demands for Excess Grants for 2021-22, Manipur Budget 2025-26 and SDG (Manipur) 2024-25 in the Lok Sabha.

Sitharaman on Monday tabled the Manipur budget for 2025-26, envisaging an expenditure of Rs 35,103.90 crore, up from Rs 32,656.81 crore in the current financial year.

The Home Ministry told Lok Sabha on Tuesday that action on crimes against women and children have received precedence “for the first time”, and placed under one chapter in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

In a written response to BJP MP Anil Baluni during the Question Hour, Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar said strict punishments up to death sentence have been provided for offences against women.

Kumar said, “Punishment for gang rape of a woman below the age of 18 years is life imprisonment till remainder of the convict’s natural life or death. A new offence for having sexual intercourse on false promise of marriage, employment, promotion or by concealing identity, etc has also been incorporated in BNS.” Baluni had asked if tackling crimes against women and children have received priority in the new criminal laws which have replaced the British-era Indian Penal Code.

DMK MPs on Tuesday staged a protest on the Parliament complex against the three-language formula under the new Education Policy (NEP) and demanded that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan apologise for his remarks against the Tamil Nadu government.

Wearing black outfits, the DMK MPs raised slogans outside the House and showed posters saying “Tamil Nadu educates, BJP manipulates”.

MDMK MP Vaiko (80) alleged the three-language policy is aimed at destroying states.

Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman sparred in Lok Sabha on Tuesday over the opposition member’s remarks targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Initiating a discussion on the supplementary demands for grants, excess grants and the Manipur budget, Gogoi said the prime minister “disappears” whenever an important issue comes up in the country.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla interjected Gogoi and said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had informed him about his foreign visit and pointed out that previous prime ministers too have undertaken visits abroad during Parliament sessions. Modi is on an official visit to Mauritius.

The parliamentary panel examining ‘one nation, one election’ bills will soon launch a website to invite suggestions from across the country on the issue.

BJP leader P P Chaudhary, the chairman of the Joint Committee on the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty–Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, said the panel was working with full transparency and wanted to ensure that everyone got an opportunity to share their views on the issue of simultaneous polls.

The panel also heard the views of former chief justice of India and Rajya Sabha member Ranjan Gogoi and former Delhi High Court chief justice Rajendra Menon.

The BJP on Tuesday defended the imposition of President’s Rule in Manipur, saying the decision was not forced on the state but was taken out of compulsion.

Initiating a combined debate on the supplementary demands for grants, excess grants and the Manipur budget for the BJP, party leader Biplab Deb also said Manipur and other northeastern states have seen infrastructure push in the last 10 years after the Narendra Modi government came to power at the Centre.

He said Manipur has seen creation of rail and road infrastructure which did not happen in the last several decades.

The Rajya Sabha witnessed an uproar on Tuesday over an unparliamentary remark by Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, who apologised to the Chair while clarifying that it was meant for the government that was “trying to create a regional divide” in the country.

As the Upper House took up a discussion on the working of the Education Ministry soon after the Question Hour, several opposition members were on their feet demanding an apology from minister Dharmendra Pradhan for his remarks against the Tamil Nadu government.

A bill seeking to streamline various services related to immigration and foreigners, including their entry, exit and stay in the country was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday with opposition dubbing it to be violative of constitutional provisions.

Rejecting suggestions that Parliament lacked the legislative competence to bring the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the central government has all the rights under the Union list to bring legislations on the subject.

He asserted that while tourists were welcome to come to India, it was the government’s responsibility to ensure peace and sovereignty of the nation remain intact.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin while speaking at the Chengalpattu government welfare assistance distribution ceremony on Tuesday, firmly rejected the Education Policy (NEP) and condemned Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s remarks about the state.

Stalin expressed his concerns about the central government’s pressure tactics and their potential negative impact on Tamil Nadu’s education system.

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for about 40 minutes on Tuesday morning as opposition MPs trooped into the Well of the House over the raw deal southern states will get in the redrawing of constituencies solely on the basis of population.

Opposition MPs gave notices under rule 267 seeking setting aside of the listed business of the day to take up a discussion on concerns of southern states over delimitation.

The Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, is likely to be introduced in the Lok Sabha today. The Bill is aimed at minimising threats to national security by foreigners, standardising the working of immigration officers, and putting in place penalties on foreigners for overstaying, using fraudulent means, and forged documents to enter India.

The bill warrants “threats to national security and sovereignty ” as grounds for refusing entry or staying to a foreign national in the country.

The bill says, “No foreigner shall be allowed to enter into or stay in India if he is found inadmissible to do so on account of threat to national security, sovereignty, and integrity of India.”