
‘Why did he call Parliament session?' asks Congress MP Pramod Tiwari on PM Modi's trip to U.K. and Maldives
Mr. Tiwari on Sunday (July 20, 2025) questioned the Prime Minister's commitment to democracy, suggesting he should review his attendance record in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
The Congress MP, while talking to ANI, said, 'When the Prime Minister knew that he would be abroad on those dates, why did he call the session? The Prime Minister should look at his attendance as to how many days he attended the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Our Prime Minister is not serious about democracy.'
The Monsoon Session of Parliament, starting today, July 21, is expected to be intense, with the Opposition's INDIA bloc gearing up to grill the Narendra Modi-led government on several contentious issues.
Flashpoints
Key flashpoints include Operation Sindoor, handling of the Pahalgam terror attack, the Air India Ahmedabad plane crash and the Bihar Electoral Roll Revisions.
Mr. Tiwari emphasised the importance of the Prime Minister's presence in Parliament to address these critical issues, expressing doubts about the government's seriousness in running the House.
He criticised the Centre for bad governance and said that there were important issues the Opposition wanted to raise in the house, and the PM's presence was required.
'Operation Sindoor, the issue of Bihar, the issue of foreign policy. Atrocities against SC women have increased under this government, and we will raise all these issues in the House. We clearly told the government that these issues are important, so the Prime Minister should be present, but I think the government is not serious about running the House', he added further.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Indian Express
11 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Jagdeep Dhankhar draws curtains on a stormy Rajya Sabha run
Jagdeep Dhankhar, who resigned as the Vice-President late on Monday citing his health, is no stranger to disagreements with the Opposition. Dhankhar was elected Vice-President in August 2022 and his term as the Rajya Sabha Chairman began on a controversial note during the Winter Session that year as he called the Supreme Court's 2015 judgment striking down the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act a 'glaring instance' of 'severe compromise' of parliamentary sovereignty and disregard of the 'mandate of the people'. Since then, there have been several instances when he and Opposition MPs have not seen eye to eye. In August 2023, Dhankhar told the Opposition that he 'could not and would not' direct Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be present in the House as it was the PM's prerogative like any other MP to come to Parliament. He made this statement as the Opposition benches continued to demand the PM's presence in the Rajya Sabha to address them on the issue of violence in Manipur. The ties between the Rajya Sabha Chairman and the Opposition hit a low during the Winter Session last year when 146 MPs were suspended from both Houses of Parliament, mostly over their demand for Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement on a Parliament security breach, followed by a discussion on the matter. It was the highest-ever number of suspensions in a Parliament session. As the proceedings came to a halt, Dhankhar wrote to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Upper House, about the 'acrimony and disruptions'. Kharge replied saying that 'he was firmly in favour of dialogue and discussion'. In his letter, Dhankhar highlighted that the latter's 'refusal to meet him to resolve the political stalemate' was 'not in sync with parliamentary practices' and sought a meeting. Kharge had declined Dhankhar's invitation and in a letter said that the mass suspension of MPs was 'premeditated' and 'weaponised' by the ruling party to sabotage parliamentary practices. In June 2024, Dhankhar courted controversy after Kharge entered the Well of House during a protest against paper leaks, with Dhankhar saying this was the first time that a LoP had done such a thing and called it a 'stain' on Parliament. Kharge responded by saying he was trying to grab the attention of the Chairman who was looking towards the Treasury benches. In July 2024, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal questioned the manner in which the Upper House was being run by Dhankhar and claimed that in no country the presiding officer of a House 'frequently interrupts' members during their speeches. The same month, Dhankhar said the RSS has 'unimpeachable credentials' and Constitutional rights to contribute to the development of the nation. 'RSS is an organisation which is a global think tank of the highest order…,' he said in the House while responding to a comment from Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman that the government's main criterion for appointments was if a person belongs to the RSS. In September 2024, in an apparent reference to Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, Dhankhar, without naming him, said nothing was more condemnable than someone holding a Constitutional post becoming 'part of enemies of the nation'. Dhankhar was speaking at Parliament to the third batch of the Rajya Sabha internship programme. During his visit to the United States that week, Gandhi said 'love, respect, and humility' were missing from Indian politics. In December last year, Dhankhar became the first person holding one of the top two constitutional posts to face the prospect of impeachment as the Opposition submitted a notice to move a no-confidence motion against him, a first in Indian Parliamentary history. However, after 60 INDIA bloc MPs gave a notice in the Rajya Sabha to bring a resolution for removal of Dhankhar, Deputy Chairman Harivansh rejected it, saying the petition was 'severely flawed', does not adhere to the requirement of 14 days' notice period and was 'drawn in haste and hurry' to 'mar the reputation' of Dhankhar and to 'damage the constitutional institution'. Earlier this year, in April, after the Supreme Court ruling set a three-month timeline for the President to decide on Bills referred by Governors of states, Dhankhar had said that India cannot have a situation where the judiciary directs the President. While the Supreme Court ruling addressed the long-running dispute between Governors and Opposition-ruled state governments, Dhankhar added that his worries are at the 'very highest level' and asked, 'There is a directive to the President by a recent judgement. Where are we heading? What is happening in the country?' Most recently, in June, Dhankhar waded into the political debate over the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble, referring to their addition to the Constitution by the Indira Gandhi government during the Emergency as 'sacrilege to the spirit of sanatan'. 'These words have been added as nasoor (festering wound). These words will create upheaval. Addition of these words in the Preamble during the Emergency signal betrayal of the mindset of the framers of the Constitution,' he said. Before he was elected Vice-President, Dhankhar served as the Governor of West Bengal when he had several run-ins with the government of Mamata Banerjee and became a vocal critic of the state administration. From the law and order situation in the state and post-poll violence to corruption accusations, alleged lapses in bureaucracy and the appointment of vice-chancellors in state universities, Dhankhar never shied away from criticising the government, which accused him of sitting on important BIlls. The situation took a turn for the worse when the state government in 2022 replaced the Governor with the CM as chancellor of state universities. His relationship with Mamata Banerjee became so acrimonious that the CM even blocked Dhankhar on social media. His relationship with Speaker Biman Banerjee was no less bitter, with the Speaker in 2021 complaining to then President Ram Nath Kovind about Dhankhar allegedly interfering in matters of the government. Born into a farmer's family at Kithana village in Jhunjhunu district in 1951, Dhankhar studied at a local government school before going to Sainik school in Chittorgarh. He studied law at the University of Rajasthan and became a professional lawyer, going on to serve as the president of the Rajasthan High Court Bar Association. Dhankhar started his political journey with the Janata Dal and in 1989, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Jhunjhunu. After that, he moved to state politics and was elected to the Rajasthan Assembly in 1993 from Kishangarh on a Congress ticket. He again tried his luck in the Lok Sabha elections in 1998 but lost from Jhunjhunu. Starting that year, Dhankhar served as a full-time senior advocate in the Supreme Court and in 2003 switched to the BJP. He advised the party on important legal matters.


The Hindu
11 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Dhaka School Jet Crash Kills 19 V.S. Achuthanandan Dies at 101
A devastating Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI jet crash struck Milestone School and College in Dhaka's Uttara area, killing at least 19 people—most of them children—and injuring over 70. The crash triggered a massive fire, widespread panic, and a national day of mourning has been declared for July 22. The pilot, Flight Lieutenant Towkir Islam, is in intensive care, and the cause of the crash is under investigation. In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Monsoon Session of Parliament, calling it a 'Vijay Utsav' to celebrate achievements like Operation Sindoor and advancements in defence and space. However, the session quickly descended into chaos, with the Lok Sabha adjourned due to opposition protests over the Pahalgam terror attack and other issues. Still, the Rajya Sabha passed key bills, including the Bills of Lading Bill, 2025. Veteran CPI(M) leader and former Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan passed away at 101. A founding member of the party, he was widely respected for his anti-corruption stance and dedication to leftist ideology. Other headlines include the Nimisha Priya crowdfunding controversy and the Supreme Court's continued stay on the release of Udaipur Files. Script & Voiceover: Zeeshan Akhtar Editing: Zeeshan Akhtar


Mint
11 minutes ago
- Mint
Jagdeep Dhankhar not the first Indian Vice President to resign midterm — here's who did it before and why
Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned as Vice President of India on July 21. On Monday night, citing medical reasons, Dhankar tendered his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu. Dhankhar's resignation comes hours after he presided over the first sitting of Rajya Sabha as chairperson during the Monsoon Session of Parliament that began on July 21. Vice President of India is the chairperson of Rajya Sabha. "To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as the Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution. The Vice President of India is the second-highest constitutional office in the government of India after the President. In accordance with Article 63 of the Constitution of India, the Vice President discharges the functions of the President when a contingency arises due to the President's resignation, removal, death, impeachment, or inability to discharge their functions. Dhankhar is not the first Vice President to quit before the end of the term. But he is the first to quit for health reasons. Many Vice Presidents of India have resigned before him from office since the post was established in 1952 To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as the Vice President of India, effective immediately. In most cases, the reason has been to contest the Presidential election. In May 1969, Vice President VV Giri resigned following the death of President Zakir Husain. Giri eventually won the elections to become the fourth President of India.