• Source:JND
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Rajya Sabha Constitution Debate Updates: The Rajya Sabha begins its two-day special debate on Monday to mark the 75th anniversary of India's Constitution. This debate is set against the backdrop of growing tensions over a no-confidence motion against Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. BJP president and Union Minister JP Nadda will lead the discussion, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah responding. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, the final day of the debate.

The debate follows two days of discussions in the Lok Sabha, where lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties debated the Constitution. Prime Minister Modi’s speech in the Lok Sabha focused on praising the Constitution’s framers and highlighting the NDA government’s efforts to strengthen it. He also highlighted the significant role women played in the Constituent Assembly. The BJP has issued a ‘three-line whip’ to its Rajya Sabha MPs to ensure their presence for the debate on December 16 and 17.

Parliament Winter Session 2024: Live Updates on Rajya Sabha Constitution Debate

- In the Constitution Debate in Rajya Sabha, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Amit Shah has bought a big washing machine—whoever goes inside it comes out clean. If a state or region is not voting for you, you should not seek revenge. PM Modi campaigns everywhere but refuses to go to Manipur. Rahul Gandhi went there and took out a yatra. You have so much security, yet you are not going there. Why are you not solving this problem?"

- Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge stated, "Bhakti in religion may be a path to the salvation of the soul, but in politics, hero worship leads to degradation and eventual dictatorship. He (the Prime Minister) is ready to become a dictator."

- Mallikarjun Kharge said, "BJP is against reservation, which is why they oppose the caste census. Modi ji does not know much about the country's freedom movement."

- Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Those who did not fight for the country cannot understand the importance of freedom and the Constitution. The Prime Minister accused us of lying, but the biggest liar is the Prime Minister himself. He promised Rs 15 lakh would come, but nothing has. These people are misleading the country and deceiving the people with lies. The Prime Minister should have explained what he has done in the last 11 years to strengthen the Constitution."

- "Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise to people of country for misleading them by 'twisting' Jawaharlal Nehru's letter to states," says Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Rajya Sabha.

- Congress Wayanad Elect MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra made a powerful statement of solidarity with Palestine on Monday by carrying a handbag to Parliament with the word "Palestine" displayed on it. The Congress leader, known for her vocal support of Palestinian rights, has been critical of Israel's actions in Gaza and has regularly voiced her concern over the ongoing violence.

- In the Constitution Debate in Rajya Sabha, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge stated, "When many powerful countries did not have universal adult franchise and women did not have the right to vote, India granted universal adult franchise and voting rights to women. This was done by the Congress through the Constitution, while RSS and Jansangh opposed it."

- Meanwhile, in Lok Sabha, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra raised two issues. She said, "The government should raise its voice against the atrocities committed against Hindu and Christian minorities in Bangladesh, engage with them, and seek their support. The second issue is the removal of a picture from the Army headquarters showing the Pakistani Army surrendering to the Indian Army. Today is Vijay Diwas. First, I want to salute the brave soldiers who fought in the 1971 war. During the Bangladesh crisis, no one listened to the voices of our Bengali brothers and sisters. I salute Indira Gandhi, who, as Prime Minister, showed immense courage and leadership, leading the country to victory."

-  Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said, "In 1949, RSS leaders opposed the Constitution of India because it was not based on Manusmriti. They neither accepted the Constitution nor the tricolour. On 26 January 2002, for the first time, the tricolour was hoisted at the RSS headquarters under compulsion due to a court order."

- Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge take a jibe at Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman saying, "They studied at Jawaharlal Nehru University but I do not know what they studied because the students who studied there are so progressive and they have a big hand in building the country whether it is in Economics, Political Science or History but here the talk is about eliminating the democratic things."

- Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of Opposition, said, "Our brave leader Indira Gandhi divided Pakistan into two parts and liberated Bangladesh, bringing pride to the country worldwide. The current chaos in Bangladesh should open the eyes of these (BJP) people, and they should work to protect the minorities there."

- Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, "The first act passed in the new Parliament building was the Reservation of Women Act. BJP stands for women's rights. Rajiv Gandhi had 426 members in the Lok Sabha and 159 in the Rajya Sabha but lacked the conviction to pass the women's reservation bill. Congress has always been anti-women."

- In the Parliament Winter Session, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated, "Congress did not allow Babasaheb Ambedkar's photo to be installed in the central hall of the old Parliament House for decades, and he was denied the Bharat Ratna."

- During the Parliament Winter Session, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman demanded a written apology from Congress MP Jairam Ramesh for accusing her of "lying," which she firmly denied. She said, "Accusing me of lying runs in the Congress blood."

In the Rajya Sabha, Sitharaman also criticised the Congress-led Maharashtra government for opposing GST provisions, adding, "They couldn't bring the GST amendment, and now when we bring it, they choose to shout about it."

- Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman remarked, "I know of political leaders who named their children after MISA to remember those dark days, and now they wouldn't even mind forming an alliance with those responsible."


- In the Rajya Sabha, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated, "The Congress party repeatedly amended the Constitution to benefit the family and dynasty. These amendments were not aimed at strengthening democracy, but at protecting those in power and reinforcing the family."

- In the Rajya Sabha, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, "Majrooh Sultanpuri and Balraj Sahni were jailed in 1949. Sultanpuri was imprisoned after reciting a poem against Jawaharlal Nehru at a mill workers' meeting, refusing to apologise. Congress’s history of suppressing free speech extends beyond them, including the 1975 ban on Michael Edwards' political biography of Nehru and the film Kissa Kursi Ka for questioning Indira Gandhi and her son."

- In the Rajya Sabha, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman discussed the first Constitutional amendment, highlighting that the Supreme Court’s 1950 ruling in favour of the Communist magazine "Cross Roads" and the RSS magazine "Organizer" led the interim government to introduce this amendment. She noted that the amendment, brought by the Indian National Congress (INC), aimed to restrict freedom of speech, marking a significant move against the democratic values of freedom of expression within just one year of adopting India’s Constitution.

 - In the ongoing Parliament Winter Session, six newly elected Rajya Sabha MPs took their oath. The list includes:

  1. Sana Sathish Babu (TDP, Andhra Pradesh)
  2. Masthan Rao Yadav Beedha (TDP, Andhra Pradesh)
  3. Ryaga Krishnaiah (BJP, Andhra Pradesh)
  4. Rekha Sharma (BJP, Haryana)
  5. Sujeet Kumar (BJP, Odisha)
  6. Ritabrata Banerjee (AITC, West Bengal)