Parliament Monsoon Session HIGHLIGHTS: Both Houses adjourn for the day

Proceedings of both Houses adjourned for the day. The Parliament will resume tomorrow at 11 am. 

On EAM Dr S Jaishankar's statement in the Parliament on the situation in Bangladesh, Congress MP KC Venugopal says, "...We are also waiting for the action from the government of India. Everybody is worried about the situation in Bangladesh and how the situation is going to affect India, especially the Indians living in Bangladesh. I think the government will take proactive action on that. We are all waiting for that..."

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina requested approval from India to come at very short notice and she arrived on the evening of Monday. "On August 5, demonstrators converged in Dhaka despite the curfew. Our understanding is that after a meeting with leaders of the security establishment, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina apparently made the decision to resign. At very short notice, she requested approval to come for the moment to India. We simultaneously received a request for flight clearance from Bangladesh authorities. She arrived yesterday evening in Delhi," he said.

Speaking in Rajya Sabha on the situation in Bangladesh, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said that there are an estimated 19,000 Indian nationals there of which about 9000 are students. "We are in close and continuous touch with the Indian community in Bangladesh through our diplomatic missions. The bulk of the students returned in July...We are also monitoring the situation with regard to the status of minorities. There are reports of initiatives by various groups and organisations to ensure their protection and well-being. Naturally, we will remain deeply concerned till law and order is restored. Our border guarding forces have been instructed to be exceptionally alert in video of this complex situation. In the last 24 hours, we have been in touch with authorities in Dhaka."

External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar addressed the situation in Bangladesh, stating, “Following a meeting with leaders of security establishments, it appears that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina decided to resign. She requested approval to come to India on very short notice and arrived in Delhi yesterday evening.”

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai reported that between 2019 and 2023, a total of 577 personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles (AR) died due to heart attacks and illnesses while deployed in Naxal-affected regions.

MoS Home Nityanand Rai

TMC MP Mahua Moitra criticised the 18% GST on health and life insurance premiums, calling it "anti-people." She highlighted that both the wealthiest and the poorest individuals are affected by this tax, which deters people from purchasing new policies or maintaining existing ones. Moitra emphasized that this makes individuals vulnerable and urged the Finance Ministry to remove the GST promptly. Her remarks were made during a protest by the I.N.D.I.A bloc against the GST on medical insurance.

Criticising the Modi government, Rahul Gandhi stated that millions of ordinary Indians save diligently to pay their annual health insurance premiums to avoid financial strain during health crises. Despite this, the government has collected Rs 24,000 crore from them in GST. He accused the BJP government of seeking "tax opportunities" before every disaster, highlighting their insensitivity. The I.N.D.I.A. Alliance opposes this opportunistic mindset and demands that health and life insurance be exempted from GST.

Lok Sabha Speaker has reiterated the collective sentiment of the House that no protests should be held at any gate of the Parliament House. This sentiment underscores the importance of ensuring that no gate is obstructed, facilitating the smooth movement of members. The Speaker emphasised that it is the responsibility of every Member of Parliament to honour and uphold this collective sentiment.

External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar is set to deliver a suo motu statement in the Lok Sabha at 3:30 PM today regarding the ongoing situation in Bangladesh. The statement will provide an official update on the developments in the neighboring country and outline India's stance and actions in response to the crisis. This announcement comes amid heightened tensions and recent events impacting regional stability. 

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, along with other opposition leaders, participated in an all-party meeting convened by the central government on Tuesday. The meeting aims to address the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh. 

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is scheduled to brief the attendees on the current situation in Bangladesh. The meeting, held at Parliament House, will discuss the impact and implications of the unrest.

Leaders from the INDIA alliance staged a protest outside Makar Dwar in Parliament on Tuesday, demanding a rollback of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on health and life insurance. The protest aimed to highlight their opposition to the recent tax impositions on these essential services. 

I.N.D.I..A alliance leaders held a protest against the Central governemnt outside Makar Dwar in Parliament demanding to roll back GST.

Congress MP Manish Tewari gave an Adjournment Motion notice in Lok Sabha, to have a discussion on the political situation in Bangladesh and its implications for India.

The government has scheduled an all-party meeting for Tuesday at 10 am to discuss the ongoing situation in Bangladesh, sources have confirmed. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is set to provide a briefing to party leaders on recent developments in Bangladesh. The country has been engulfed in turmoil following massive protests over job quotas, leading to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation and departure.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Finance (No.2) Bill, 2024, in Parliament today. The bill aims to implement the central government's financial proposals for the fiscal year 2024-25.

Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh) will address the Lok Sabha on the implementation status of the 70th report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Food Processing, focusing on employment and revenue potential in the fisheries sector.