logo
Parliament Monsoon Session Live Updates: Both Houses to reconvene after Day 3 disruptions over Bihar SIR

Parliament Monsoon Session Live Updates: Both Houses to reconvene after Day 3 disruptions over Bihar SIR

Hindustan Times3 days ago
Parliament Monsoon Session Day 4 Live Updates: Proceedings in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were disrupted once again on Day 3 of the Monsoon Session on Wednesday, as relentless opposition protests led to repeated adjournments. The uproar was primarily over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the upcoming Assembly election scheduled later this year. This marked the third consecutive day of a near-total washout during the monsoon session of Parliament. Opposition MPs waved placards and raising slogans to press for a discussion on the Bihar SIR. ...Read More
Both Houses were adjourned three times — first till 12 noon, then 2 pm, and finally for the remainder of the day. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expressed strong disapproval of the conduct in the House, likening it to 'street-like behaviour' and urging MPs to introspect on their responsibilities as lawmakers.
In addition to the Bihar SIR, opposition parties also reiterated their demand for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's presence during the debate on Operation Sindoor. Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi criticised Modi for his silence on the ceasefire remarks made by US President Donald Trump, stating that 'the world knows' Trump announced a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. 'You can't hide from reality,' Gandhi said.
Before the final adjournmenton day 3, the Upper House briefly took up the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025, which seeks to replace the century-old Indian Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 1925.
The session of Parliament, which began on Monday, has had a turbulent start. On Day 1 of the monsoon session of Parliament, Vice President and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned citing health concerns.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

On Vijay Diwas, Army chief invokes Operation Sindoor – ‘Organised, accurate and decisive to Pahalgam attack'
On Vijay Diwas, Army chief invokes Operation Sindoor – ‘Organised, accurate and decisive to Pahalgam attack'

Indian Express

time30 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

On Vijay Diwas, Army chief invokes Operation Sindoor – ‘Organised, accurate and decisive to Pahalgam attack'

It was because of the trust of the people and 'the strategic independence' extended by the government that the Indian Army gave Pakistan an 'organised, accurate and decisive' answer after the Pahalgam attack, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi said Saturday. The army chief was speaking at Drass on the 26th anniversary of Vijay Diwas to mark India's victory against Pakistan in the Kargil war of 1999. In his speech, General Dwivedi also spoke about Operation Sindoor. 'India proved (in 1999) that no ill intentions will find success within India's borders. No harm will be allowed against India's unity and integrity. In continuation of that tradition, the Indian Army displayed the same courage and determination during Operation Sindoor in targeting terrorist infrastructure within Pakistan and achieved a decisive victory by effectively thwarting Pakistan's aggressive tactics,' he said. India gave peace a chance but the neighbouring country displayed 'cowardice' and Operation Sindoor 'was our resolve, message and response' to that, he said. He went on to say that the Pahalgam attack, in which 25 tourists and a local were killed by terrorists, left a 'deep wound' on the nation but that this time, India did not just mourn their loss but resolved that the response would be decisive. On the night of May 6 and 7, India attacked nine high value targets in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, 'without harming any innocent citizens', he said. 'Operation Sindoor was not just a response but a clear message that those supporting terror will not survive,' he said. Defining India's 'new normal', he said that 'any forces planning to attack India's integrity and sovereignty will be given a befitting reply in the future as well.' With a view to making the Indian Army a 'future oriented' force, he also announced the constitution of a new 'Rudra Bridgade' of the Indian Army that will include infantry, mechanised infantry, armoured units, artillery, special forces and unmanned aerial systems together to provide logistic and combat support to the forces. He also said that a special forces unit called Bhairav has also been constituted. 'We are fully prepared to realise India's Visit Bharat dream by the 100th anniversary of the country's independence,' he said.

After destroying Pakistan with BrahMos missile, India gets ready to build BrahMos-2K with..., China, Pakistan shivering with fear due to...
After destroying Pakistan with BrahMos missile, India gets ready to build BrahMos-2K with..., China, Pakistan shivering with fear due to...

India.com

time30 minutes ago

  • India.com

After destroying Pakistan with BrahMos missile, India gets ready to build BrahMos-2K with..., China, Pakistan shivering with fear due to...

New Delhi: Operation Sindoor has proved that the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile could not be stopped by the air defense systems of China and Pakistan. Now imagine how much devastation it would have cause if it were a hypersonic missile. What is BrahMos-2K hypersonic cruise missile? According to media reports, a big agreement can be reached between India and Russia to restart the BrahMos-2K hypersonic cruise missile programme when Russian President Vladimir Putin visits India. Let us tell you that BrahMos-2K is considered to be the next generation of the existing BrahMos supersonic cruise missile and it will have hypersonic speed. It will be based on the technology of Russia's Zircon (3M22 Zircon) missile. According to the report, a scramjet engine will be used in BrahMos-2K and it can carry a nuclear warhead. Its speed could be around 8 Mach (9878 KMPH) and its range is said to be 1500 kilometers. This project is a joint venture between India's DRDO and Russian NPO Mashinostroyeniya and now that BrahMos has been tremendously successful against Pakistan, efforts have been initiated to restart this programme. How powerful will the BrahMos-2K missile be? The BrahMos-2K missile will be one of the most dangerous missiles in the world and perhaps no air defense system has been made yet that can intercept it. China is constantly trying to make air defense to counter the BrahMos missile, but so far it has been unsuccessful. According to defense experts, it will be equipped with the most advanced scramjet technology, which means that its speed will be hypersonic till it hits the target. Its speed will not decrease due to atmospheric pressure. The current BrahMos missile has a speed of 3.5 Mach (4321 KMPH) and a range of 800 kilometers. India has deployed it in the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. Apart from this, BrahMos has also been deployed in the Indian Army. BrahMos-2K, which is also being called BrahMos Mark-II or BrahMos-II, will have very low radar signature and advanced manoeuvring capability, making it almost impossible to intercept. How many countries are working on hypersonic missiles? India is starting the BrahMos-2K programme at a time when many countries are working towards making hypersonic missiles, but only China and Russia have been successful. America's hypersonic missile programme has failed at least three times, but India has come very close to making a hypersonic missile.

EC's refusal to accept Aadhaar as voter ID in Bihar is 'absurd': ADR
EC's refusal to accept Aadhaar as voter ID in Bihar is 'absurd': ADR

Business Standard

time30 minutes ago

  • Business Standard

EC's refusal to accept Aadhaar as voter ID in Bihar is 'absurd': ADR

The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has told the Supreme Court that the Election Commission's (EC) claim of having constitutional powers to verify voters' citizenship during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar's electoral rolls contradicts earlier court rulings. According to a report by The Indian Express, ADR also criticised the EC for excluding Aadhaar and ration cards as acceptable proof of identity, calling the move 'patently absurd,' especially as Aadhaar is widely used for passports, caste certificates, and permanent residency documents. 'Grave fraud' in rush to revise rolls The ADR, the petitioner in the matter, argued that the EC has not provided valid reasons for hurrying through the revision ahead of Bihar's Assembly polls. The group described the process as a 'grave fraud' on the state's electorate. The revision exercise, announced on June 24, has been controversial due to its timing and new requirement that voters registered after 2003 must provide several documents to stay on the electoral rolls. This has raised fears that many legitimate voters could be disenfranchised. ADR has submitted its response to the EC's affidavit, filed on July 21. In that affidavit, the EC claimed that Article 326 of the Constitution permits it to verify the citizenship of voters and clarified that being removed from the electoral roll does not mean loss of citizenship. The matter will be heard next on 28 July. Citizenship verification against court judgments? ADR argued that the EC's claim of authority to verify citizenship goes against earlier Supreme Court decisions. It cited Lal Babu Hussain vs Union of India (1995), which stated that the burden of proving citizenship lies with new applicants, not existing voters. It also referenced Inderjit Barua vs ECI (1985), where the court held that being on the electoral roll is strong proof of citizenship, and the onus to disprove it lies with those who object. ADR criticised the EC's directive requiring voters added after 2003 to produce one of 11 specified documents, saying this wrongly shifts the burden of proof to voters. 'It is submitted that the SIR process shifts the onus of citizenship proof on all existing electors in a state, whose names were registered by the ECI through a due process,' ADR said. The group questioned why the existing legal procedures under the Representation of the People Act and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 had to be replaced with a fresh set of documentation and a new form. ADR also said the EC had not provided any data showing foreign nationals or illegal migrants had been included in the electoral rolls. EC's Aadhaar rejection 'absurd' In its July 21 affidavit, the EC refused to accept the Supreme Court's suggestion to include Aadhaar, ration cards, and Voter ID as valid documents, arguing that Aadhaar and ration cards can be obtained using false papers. ADR countered that the EC's list of 11 acceptable documents is also open to fraud. It added, 'The fact that Aadhaar card is one of the documents accepted for obtaining Permanent Residence Certificate, OBC/SC/ST Certificate and for passport – makes ECI's rejection of Aadhar (which is most widely held document) under the instant SIR order patently absurd.' 'Violations' by officials ADR alleged that EC officials on the ground are not following the Commission's own rules. The June 24 guidelines required Block Level Officers (BLOs) to visit each home and provide two forms per voter. But ADR said many voters had not met any BLOs and had not signed any forms, yet their submissions were recorded online. 'Forms of even dead individuals have been reported to have been submitted,' it added. ADR also criticised the lack of a clear process for verifying these forms and documents, saying this gave Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) excessive powers that could lead to widespread disenfranchisement. Why target post-2003 voters? The EC's order says that the 2003 electoral roll is proof of citizenship for voters already registered. For those born after July 1, 1987, the EC asks for proof of citizenship from at least one parent. If the parent appears on the 2003 roll, the child may rely on that. ADR said this distinction was unfair and placed those registered after 2003 at 'a larger risk of disenfranchisement.' It also questioned why the EC had not submitted the 2003 revision order to the Court and asked for it to be produced. In contrast, during the 2004 revision exercise in the North East, only new voters had to submit documents, and that process took over six months (July 1, 2004 to January 3, 2005). In Bihar, the entire process is being compressed into three months -- from June 25 to September 30. 2025 roll already revised ADR also asked why a fresh revision is needed when the 2025 electoral roll was already updated and published in January this year. The group said the roll is regularly updated to account for deaths, migration, and other changes. ADR also highlighted an August 11, 2023 EC circular to state CEOs, directing them to delete names of electors who had died, moved, or were duplicates. The EC claimed the current SIR was being held in response to concerns raised by political parties. But ADR said, 'not a single political party had asked ECI for a de novo exercise such as the one prescribed in the instant SIR order'. Instead, parties had raised concerns about fake votes being added, genuine opposition voters being deleted, and irregular voting after polls had closed. Supreme Court's interim observations The case was first heard on July 10 by a vacation bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi. While the Court did not halt the process, it suggested the EC consider allowing Aadhaar, Voter ID, and ration cards as valid documents, in addition to the 11 listed. The EC was told to submit its affidavit by July 21, and the matter will be heard again on July 28. As of Friday, the EC said it had received forms from 72.3 million voters for inclusion in the draft roll. Around 6.5 million names are to be deleted due to death, permanent migration, duplicate entries, or because the voter was untraceable. Further deletions may occur after the draft roll is published. Between August 1 and September 1, those whose names are missing from the draft will be able to file claims and objections.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store