Waqf Bill, Tax Relief, Suspensions: Highlights Of Three Parliament Sessions Under Modi 3.0
Under PM Narendra Modi's third term, Monsoon Session, Winter Session 2024, and Budget Session 2025, were marked not just by bold reforms but also intense debates and disruptions.
Parliamentarians are getting ready for Monsoon Session from July 21 to August 21. This is the first session of Parliament after the dastardly Pahalgam attack and India's Operation Sindoor against the terror sites in Pakistan. The Income Tax Bill 2025 is also set to come up this session.
As Parliament prepares for the Monsoon Session, it's time to review the highlights of the previous three sessions after Modi 3.0 came to power. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third term, Monsoon Session 2024, Winter Session 2024, and Budget Session 2025, were marked not just by bold reforms but also intense debates and disruptions.
The monsoon session came just after the NDA came to power for a consecutive third term. Though it was less heavy on legislation, the session was a politically charged one. While no major announcements were made in Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched a strong defence of the government's economic performance, claiming record job creation, better inflation control, and stable fiscal management.
'Under UPA, 2.9 crore jobs were created. Under Modi, we created 12.5 crore jobs. That's the difference between headlines and hard work," she said, replying to the Budget debate.
The Opposition attacked the Budget 2024–25 as a 'Kursi Bachao" exercise, accusing the BJP of favouritism towards Bihar and Andhra Pradesh ahead of state elections.
Held from November 25 to December 20, 2024, the session was dominated by political turmoil. Over 140 Opposition MPs were suspended for continuous disruptions and protests — one of the most sweeping disciplinary actions in parliamentary history. The first week of the session saw repeated adjournments over issues including unrest in Manipur.
Despite the chaos, the government introduced two major bills related to 'One Nation, One Election" — one proposing a constitutional amendment and another aimed at synchronising elections in Union Territories. Both were sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee.
The session also saw a heated debate on Constitution. 'Your slogan 'Garibi Hatao' was a fraud. We didn't give slogans — we gave toilets, electricity, and gas cylinders," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, during the debate on constitutional values.
Another bill passed was the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024, which updated India's civil aviation law.
Budget Session 2025: Tax Reforms And the Waqf Bill Debate
Spanning January 31 to April 4, 2025, this session delivered a politically strategic budget that included substantial middle-class tax relief, record capital investment, and new welfare schemes. The highlight was the revamp of the Income Tax structure with incomes up to Rs 12 lakh became tax-free under the New Tax Regime, with significant relief for incomes up to Rs 24 lakh and streamlined compliance norms.
Infrastructure commitments included a Rs 1.5 lakh crore capital outlay, and the launch of 200 new Vande Bharat trains. Farmers received a major boost through the PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, while women were empowered through the Lakhpati Didi scheme.
However, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, passed after a 12-hour debate in Lok Sabha, triggered backlash in West Bengal and Tripura. Opposition alleged it was aimed at weakening Muslim institutions, while the government called it a transparency reform.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi tore a copy of the Bill in Lok Sabha and said, 'You want to take over our lands, dismantle our institutions, and now you call it reform? This is a targeted attack on Muslims — cloaked in legal jargon."
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, tabling the bill in the Lok Sabha, quipped that the Congress government would have given Parliament and airport lands to Waqf had the BJP not come to power in 2014.
He accused the Opposition of misleading the public on matters unrelated to the Waqf Bill, citing a lawsuit over multiple properties claimed as Waqf properties by the Delhi Waqf Board. 'These were claimed as Waqf properties by the Delhi Waqf Board. The UPA government denotified 123 properties and turned them over to the Waqf Board while the lawsuit was still pending," he said.
Congress MP Sonia Gandhi called Bill a 'brazen assault" on the Constitution, accusing the BJP of using it to ensure 'permanent polarisation" in society. She also accused the government of 'bulldozing" the Bill.
Opposition parties staged walkouts, accusing the Centre of ramming bills through without adequate debate.
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First Published:
July 20, 2025, 07:11 IST
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