The Parliament will convene today for the last day of the Monsoon Session. The day will also mark the change of guards in Rajya Sabha, with M Venkaiah Naidu taking over as the Chairman of the Upper House from outgoing vice-president M Hamid Ansari. Naidu was also sworn-in as the 13th Vice-President of India Meanwhile, Congress President Sonia Gandhi will chair a meeting of leaders of 18 Opposition parties on Friday, the last day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session, to discuss Opposition unity and chalk out a strategy against the Modi government. [caption id=“attachment_3912059” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
Representational image. PTI[/caption] Janata Dal-United (JD(U)) leader Sharad Yadav, on a Bihar visit, has been invited for the meeting. Sharad Yadav on Thursday declared in Patna that he was still with the Grand Alliance of the RJD and the Congress in Bihar. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is slated to be present. The Nationalist Congress Party of Sharad Pawar has also been invited. There were reports that two MLAs of the NCP may not have voted for Congress candidate Ahmed Patel in the Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections. The meeting is likely to discuss an Opposition rally called by Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad in Patna on 27 August, which will target the newly-formed Bharatiya Janata Party-Janata Dal-United alliance government in Bihar led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. In Parliament, on Friday, a short-duration debate on the use of police force against social activist Medha Patekar and others seeking rehabilitation of people displaced by the Sardar Sarovar Dam project.
Police removed Patkar
on Monday, who was on indefinite fast since 27 July seeking proper rehabilitation of Sardar Sarovar Project-oustees, from Chikhalda in Dhar district, and shifted her to Bombay Hospital in Indore, citing her worsening condition. Recap from Thursday The Rajya Sabha bid farewell to former Vice-president of India, Hamid Ansari, who was also the Chairman of the Upper House. The Upper House members also bid adieu to three members who will be retiring and not coming back for another term. The Upper House saw Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav turn emotional as he said goodbye to CPM’s Sitaram yechury who concluded his second term in the Upper House on Thursday. Leader of House, Arun Jaitley too was all praise for Yechury as he remarked that the veteran Left leader has always raised the level of debate by making his contributions. Apart from Yechury, D Bandopadhyay of TMC and Dilipbhai Pandya of BJP also bid farewell to the House. The Lok Sabha meanwhile, debated the Chandigarh stalking case, in which the son of a BJP leader is an accused. The government told the House that those involved in stalking and alleged attempt to abduct a 29-year-old Varnika Kundu, daughter of an IAS officer, will be punished. A bill which seeks to deal with insolvency of financial service providers was today referred to a Joint Committee of Parliament, while another bill that seeks to fix a national minimum wage for all categories of over 40 crore unorganised sector workers and provide a fixed timeline for their payment was introduced in the Lower House.
Parliament highlights: M Venkaiah Naidu takes over as new RS Chairman as Monsoon Session comes to end
The day will also mark the change of guards in Rajya Sabha, with M Venkaiah Naidu taking over as the Chairman of the Upper House from outgoing vice-president M Hamid Ansari.
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Lok Sabha worked for 71 hours, wasted 30; 14 bills were passed
Lok Sabha Speaker Sunitra Mahajan said the House in 19 sittings, beginning from 17 July, worked for 71 hours.
While around 30 hours were wasted due to disruptions and adjournments, the House also sat for around 10 hours 36 minutes extra to complete its business, the Speaker said.
Watch: First speech of M Venkaiah Naidu as Chairman of Rajya Sabha
“Being a parliamentarian for 19 years, most of it in Opposition, I am aware of the aspirations, expectations and sometimes frustration of the members. I am also aware that worthy people like Dr Sarvapalli Rashakrishnan and Zakir Ali have sat in this position before me and I have to uphold the precedents set by them,” Venkaiah Naidu.
Meanwhile… Sonia Gandhi to chair meeting of Oppn parties at the end of Monsoon Session
Watch speech of Leader of the House welcoming Venkaiah Naidu
“This is the majesty of this House that anyone can reach anywhere from a backbencher ordinary member in 1998 I have toay come to preside of this House,” said M Venkaiah Naidu.
Watch: PM Modi’s welcome speech in Rajya Sabha for M Venkaiah Naidu
“Please take care of last bench MPs,” Satish Chandra Misra of BSP
Welcoming M Venkaiah Naidu to the Upper House as Chairman, Misra said that his humble beginings gave his party the hope that never again will the voice of poor and the Dalits be left unheard in the House. He said that Naidu is an examples for those coming from humble beginings that no height is unreachable.
Sitaram Yechury urges Naidu to do justice to his new role
“I am spared the awkardness that the prime minister was referring to as we too have been associated with each other for forty years but now as you enter parliamet ina new role, I will take your leave,” Yechury said.
He, however, urged the Chairman to remain truthful and just to his new responsibility.
Derek O’Brien welcomes Naidu with alliterations and acronyms
Amid a list of advices and expectations as a parliamentarian, Derek O’Brien also coined an acronym imitating Naidu’s popular style of speech.
He expaneded NAIDU as:
Now
All
India’s
Dearest
Umpire
Opposition members list out expectations from new Rajya Sabha Chairman
“Please never commit the one sin of passing a bil in din,” Derek O’ Brien said while Ram Gopal Yadav reminded Naidu to hear the voices of even smallest of parties. Leader of Opposition Ghulam nabi Azad also reminded the Chairman that a pair of balancing scales hangs behind his chair for a reason.
I salute to the capitalists of the past era too: Ghulam Nabi Azad
While hailing the humble background of M Venkaiah Naidu, who today took over as the 13th Vice-President of India, Azad said that he would also like to salute the spirit of sacrifice of the capitalists of the gone era who gave up everything for nation building.
Recounting the contributions of Mahatma Gandhi, Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, all of whom hailed from affluent families, Azad said that the nation that they handed us must be strengthened and those principles should be maintained.
Proud that a person of humble beginnings taking over as Chairman of House: Ghulam Nabi Azad
“We are proud to have a Chairman from the humble beginings and a rural background and I must salute the strength of democracy and the Constitution that enabled one and all to rise through the ranks and reach here,” LoP Ghulam Nabi Azad said.
“Venkaiah ji is one of the few leaders presiding over this house who has a deep understanding of rural issues. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna was his gift to the nation,” Modi said
Venkaiah ji will give us a tough time in Rajya Sabha: PM Modi
Commenting on a lighter note, Narendra Modi said, “When a Bar member reaches the Bench it becomes a little awkward for his colleagues to look at him in the new role. Similarly we too will have a tough time adjusting to the fact that a fellow parliamentarian, who we used to joke and work till yesterday has become the Chairman.”
PM Modi hails Venkaiah Naidu as son of farmer
“It is an honour for us to have people coming from poor and rural families sit on highest constitutional posts,” Modi said. The prime minister also said that Venkaih ji is known for his art of alliterations, and hi soratoryship. “However, behind this art is a startling clarity of thought and not mere wordplay,” Modi said.
We are ready to welcome M Venkaiah Naidu as Chairman of Rajya Sabha: PJ Kurien
“My best wishes and greetings to him and we are ready to extend a warm welcome to him as chairman of Rajya Sabha,” Dy Chairman PJ Kurian told Rajya Sabha TV.
The deputy chairman also added that Naidu’s vast experience as a parliamentarian and parliamentary affairs minister will help him take charge of the new responsibility.