Parliament Budget Session Live: ‘India not a Dharamshala, says Amit Shah while backing strict immigration laws in Lok Sabha; House passes immigration Bill

"Tendency of finance ministry is to exercise caution & not let go of revenues. But, here we wanted to use this opportunity to show our respect for Indian taxpayer. I.e. we have moved towards setting ₹12 lakh as threshold up to which no one will have to pay any tax," she said.

"To reduce the multiplicity of rates and compliance burden, it is proposed to bring down certain TCS rates and increase certain thresholds for the requirement of tax to be deducted at source or collected at source," she said in Rajya Sabha.

"Budget after budget we are reducing duty to meet India's aspiration of becoming manufacturing hub for battery," said Sitharaman

"Hence, this Immigration and Foreigners Bill 2025, which is a legislative proposal, will simplify our system, make it systematic, and also secure," he continued.

"Individuals coming here not for shelter but with selfish motives have also increased. People who come here to contribute to India's economy and growth are always welcomed. But whether it is the Rohingyas or Bangladeshis, if you are here to disrupt peace, strict action will be taken. That is why we need both flexibility and firmness in this Bill," he added.

"With the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, we will establish a detailed and structured system to track every foreigner entering the country. This will help us develop the nation and monitor those coming for business. It will also allow us to keep a sharp eye on individuals who may pose a threat to our security," said Shah.

"Immigration is not a separate issue. Many issues of the country are linked to it... From the point of view of national security, it is very important to know who enters the nation's border... We will also keep a close watch on those who will endanger the security of the country," said the home minister

Union Minister Amit Shah is addressing the lower House of the Parliament.

The government is "carefully" monitoring all developments relating to the Brahmaputra river, including plans by China to construct a hydropower project, and taking necessary measures to protect the country's interests, the Parliament was informed on Thursday. In a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh also said the government of India "remains engaged" with China on the issue of trans-border rivers to "safeguard our interests".

He further said "preventive and corrective measures" are being taken to safeguard life and livelihood of Indian citizens residing in downstream areas of Brahmaputra.

During Thursday's parliamentary session, Congress MP Manish Tewari raised concerns about the reported discovery of cash at Justice Yashwant Varma's residence. He requested Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal to address the Lok Sabha regarding the actual events. Speaking during Zero Hour, Tewari emphasised that reports of alleged judicial irregularities have deeply concerned conscientious citizens nationwide, whilst acknowledging it was too early to determine culpability.

Tewari highlighted Parliament's supervisory responsibility over the judiciary.

He acknowledged the Chief Justice of India's initiation of an internal investigation and stressed the importance of respecting this process whilst awaiting its findings. Nevertheless, the Chandigarh MP insisted that the law minister should present the sequence of events to the House.

Tewari clarified that there was no presumption of innocence or guilt, nor any attempt to assign blame. He emphasised that whilst the internal inquiry should proceed unhindered, Parliament maintains its constitutional oversight responsibility through the Judge's (Inquiry) Act.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla suggested on Thursday that parliamentarians have the opportunity to present their thoughts and insights regarding the "one nation one election" concept to the parliamentary committee examining the two bills supporting concurrent elections. During his address in the House, Birla mentioned that numerous young parliamentarians had discussed their viewpoints with him in various separate meetings concerning different topics.

He stated, "They have put across very good logic and perspective."

He expressed his desire for MPs to communicate these insights to the Joint Committee of Parliament, which operates under the leadership of BJP MP and former Union minister P P Chaudhary.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday rejected the privilege motion moved by Congress MP Jairam Ramesh against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, stating that there was "no transgression" and that Shah’s remarks were factually verified.

Dhankhar, while addressing the Upper House, said he received the privilege motion on March 26, but noted that Ramesh had mistakenly dated his signature as May 26. The Congress MP had accused Amit Shah of making misleading claims about the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) during a debate on the Disaster Management Bill 2024.

In his response, Dhankhar cited Shah’s authentication of his remarks with a press release from January 24, 1948, issued by the Government of India. "There has been absolute adherence to truth which is vindicated by a document that is available to Hon'ble Members," Dhankhar said, adding, "I cannot persuade myself to accord any acceptance to this Notice of Question of Privilege against Amit Shah."

Calling breach of privilege a "serious matter," Dhankhar expressed concern over the misuse of parliamentary platforms to "ruin reputations." He also referenced the S.B. Chauhan report on parliamentary ethics, stressing that members must uphold decorum and personal credibility. The Chairman directed the Ethics Committee, led by Ghanshyam Tiwari, to review the report and develop new guidelines for members in light of modern technological and social media challenges.

Union minister Chirag Paswan on Thursday accused Opposition parties of misleading people over the Waqf Amendment Bill, alleging that they were deliberately creating an atmosphere suggesting it was against Muslims.

"As part of a well-thought-out strategy, there are many groups in the Opposition who want to create an environment that the Waqf Amendment Bill is against Muslims... The bill has yet to be discussed in Parliament. But in anticipation, these politicians have already started sending wrong messages to the people," Paswan said.

Referring to the protests by Opposition MLAs outside the Bihar Assembly on Wednesday, the minister claimed that such demonstrations were politically motivated ahead of elections in the state.

"All this is being done with a political point of view. Elections are upcoming in Bihar, which is why they are remembering Muslims... I also have a problem with Muslim religious organisations, who are not questioning the people who pretend to be the well-wishers of Muslims, but have done nothing except looting Muslims and exploiting their vote bank," he said.

CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar has cautioned against potential discrimination under the proposed Immigration and Foreigners Bill, which is likely to be tabled in Parliament today. While supporting measures to curb illegal migration, he emphasised that those who have been living in India for years should not face any bias. "All sorts of illegal migration should be stopped, no doubt at all, but in the name of stopping illegal migration, those people who have been living here for years should not be subjected to any sort of discrimination," he said. He also warned against conflating the bill with CAA, stating that political leadership should not arbitrarily determine who qualifies as an illegal migrant.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari informed the Lok Sabha that the government has revised the criteria for upgrading highways. Under the new norms, two-lane highways will be widened to four lanes if traffic exceeds 12,000 passenger car units (PCUs), while four-lane highways will be expanded to six lanes if traffic surpasses 20,000 PCUs. The revision aims to improve road infrastructure and accommodate increasing traffic demand. Widening works of NHs of around Rs 10 lakh will start in 2 years, he said.

A parliamentary panel has recommended " modeled on the Election Commission's cVIGIL app, to empower citizens to report instances of arbitrary airfare pricing.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture on Tuesday highlighted several improvements.

The Committee highlighted the need for public awareness campaigns to educate consumers about their rights under this new regulatory framework.

The Committee recommends the development of a mobile application, "Airfare Vigil," modeled on the Election Commission's cVIGIL app, to empower citizens to report instances of arbitrary airfare pricing.

This app will allow users to upload evidence such as screenshots of ticket prices and contextual details, with features like real-time geo-tagging, automated complaint tracking, and time-bound resolution mechanisms. Upon submission, users will receive a unique ID to track their complaint status, ensuring transparency and accountability.

The app will also include safeguards against misuse, such as filtering duplicate or frivolous complaints, while allowing anonymous submissions to encourage wider participation.

"Airfare Vigil" will be integrated with the AI-powered "AirPrice Guardian" system, enabling citizen reports to complement predictive analytics in identifying exploitative pricing patterns. This initiative will foster participatory governance by involving citizens in airfare regulation while strengthening DGCA's ability to address consumer grievances swiftly and effectively," the report stated.

The Committee, while examining the Demand for Grants of the Ministry of Civil Aviation for 2025-26, recommends the establishment of a stringent airfare pricing regulation mechanism under the framework of an AI-powered predictive monitoring system, tentatively named "AirPrice Guardian."

"This system should aim to address consumer grievances related to unpredictable and exorbitant airfare surges, particularly during peak travel periods and emergencies, while ensuring transparency and fairness in pricing practices. The Committee notes that the current regulatory framework under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) lacks the capacity to proactively monitor and regulate airfare trends, necessitating a transformative approach leveraging advanced technology," the report mentioned.

The report said that the proposed "AirPrice Guardian" system will utilize machine learning algorithms and predictive analytics to forecast airfare trends based on historical data, demand patterns, fuel costs, seasonal fluctuations, and external factors such as festivals or emergencies.

By establishing dynamic fare bands for each route, updated quarterly through predictive models, this system will empower regulators to monitor deviations in real-time and take pre-emptive action against excessive pricing.

"The Committee recommends that DGCA be empowered with quasi-judicial authority to impose temporary price caps or penalties on airlines engaging in exploitative practices," the report asserted.

Recently, Indian-Canadian actor Lisa Ray in her social media post, slammed Air India for denying a medical waiver for a ticket she had to cancel. In another case, a family claimed that an 82-year-old grandmother was left injured at Delhi Airport after Air India allegedly failed to provide a pre-booked wheelchair, forcing her to walk before collapsed.

TMC leader Mahua Moitra criticised Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, alleging that he was upset over the leader of opposition (LoP) greeting a ‘sister’ inside the House. In a sharp attack on social media, Moitra recalled past incidents where Birla remained silent, including BJP MPs’ remarks against Sonia Gandhi and Danish Ali.

“We watched this man sit & smile through Sonia Gandhi being attacked by BJP women, Danish Ali called ‘Katwa Mullah’ by Bidhuri & much more. Sick minds!” Moitra wrote on X.

Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill to set up 'Tribhuvan Sahkari University' in Gujarat's Anand with an aim to create a qualified manpower for co-operative societies. The university has been named after Tribhuvandas Kishibhai Patel, who was one of the pioneers of cooperative movement in India and instrumental in laying foundation of Amul, Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah said during a debate on the "Tribhuvan" Sahkari University Bill, 2025.
The Amul's journey started in 1946 has transformed into the world's biggest dairy brand with a turnover of Rs 60,000 crore, he said.

The proposed university will also address the long pending issue of capacity building of employees and board members in the co-operative sector in a pan-India and focused manner.

According to the Bill, the present education and training infrastructure in the co-operative sector is "fragmented and grossly inadequate" to meet the present and future demand for qualified manpower and capacity building of existing employees in co-operative societies.

The bill said it is essential that a comprehensive, integrated and standardised structure is created for education, training and research by establishing a national university to ensure a stable, adequate and quality supply of professionally qualified manpower for different categories of jobs in co-operatives such as managerial, supervisory, administrative, technical and operational.

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said action is going on "relentlessly against wilful bank defaulters", adding "we are not lying low in Rajya Sabha. (PTI)

"Our parliamentary traditions teach us that the House is equal for both the government and opposition, but when the opposition, especially the LoP, comes to Parliament and when he tries to put forth his points, he is not allowed to speak. This has been happening again and again... The LoP never gets a chance to speak. When Sushma Swaraj was the LoP, she was treated with respect, but today, when the LoP stood up to say something, the House was adjourned by the Speaker," Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi tells news agency PTI.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee on Wednesday criticised Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar for his remarks on the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act. Banerjee asserted that no constitutional authority should question or find fault with a Supreme Court judgment.

Citing Article 143 of the Constitution, Banerjee said, "All authorities should act in aid of the Supreme Court, not in derogation... therefore, this is not appreciatable at all." His remarks come amid an ongoing debate over judicial appointments and the separation of powers between the executive and the judiciary.

Delhi HC allows J&K MP Engineer Rashid, arrested in a terror funding case, to attend ongoing Parliament session 'in-custody'. (PTI)

The Congress party on Wednesday moved a privilege motion against Union home minister Amit Shah for "casting aspersions on Sonia Gandhi" with a "premeditated motive to malign her reputation".

Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday criticised Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, alleging that he was not allowed to speak in the House.

"I don't know what is going on. I requested him to let me speak, but he just ran away. This is no way to run the House," Gandhi told reporters.

He claimed that the Speaker made an unsubstantiated remark about him before adjourning the House unnecessarily. "It is a convention that the LoP is given time to speak, but whenever I stand up, I am stopped. I was quietly sitting and did nothing," he said.

Gandhi added that he wanted to speak on the Maha Kumbh Mela and unemployment but was denied the opportunity. "Here, there is no place for democracy," he remarked.

BJP MP and Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, JP Nadda, will reach out to all political parties to seek their views on the issue concerning Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma, sources said. The decision follows Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar’s meeting with Floor Leaders of various parties yesterday. The issue arose after a fire at Justice Varma’s residence led to the discovery of a substantial amount of cash. Justice Varma has denied any links to the money, asserting that neither he nor his family owns it.

Hours after advocating for the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act and stating that "things would have been different" had the Supreme Court not struck down the legislation on judicial appointments, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar met with floor leaders of various political parties.

The meeting was convened following allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma after a fire at his residence on March 14 led to the discovery of a substantial amount of cash. Justice Varma has strongly denied the allegations, maintaining that neither he nor his family owns the money.

Earlier in the day, Dhankhar referred to the allegations, stating that the matter was causing concern across all branches of governance.

"This House, keeping dignity in mind, demonstrating dignified conduct, unanimously created a legal system in 2015, and that constitutional structure that emanated unanimously with one abstention from the Parliament endorsed by state legislatures should be rule of law because it was sanctified by the President by appending her signatures under Article 111," he said.

"Now is the befitting occasion for all of us to reiterate that because that was a visionary step endorsed by Parliament. And imagine if that had taken place, things would have been different," he added.

Dhankhar emphasised that the NJAC Act was a historic decision taken by Parliament with rare unanimity since independence and was duly approved by state legislatures.

"We need to reflect what happened to that. Under the Constitution, there is no provision that allows anyone to tinker with that. There is no constitutional provision of review or appeal of a constitutional amendment. If there is legislation in the country by parliament or state, judicial review can take place...., whether there is conformity with constitutional provisions," he said.

"Now, before the nation, there are two situations, one, what emanated from the Indian Parliament, duly endorsed by state legislatures, sanctified by the President by appending signatures under Article 111, and second, is a judicial order. Now, we are at crossroads. I strongly urge members to reflect," he added.

He stressed that no institution could override what was passed by Parliament and endorsed by legislatures.

"And that should again, I reiterate, be the mechanism holding the field. It is time for us, having seen such extraordinarily painful scenario...... Innocence is something which we take at a very high level till someone is proven guilty," he said.

Dhankhar also mentioned his discussions with Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the House JP Nadda.

"We will come back to the House on this very critical important issue, that concerns much beyond judicial mess. It concerns sovereignty of Parliament, supremacy of Parliament, and whether we are at all relevant. If we effect an amendment in the Constitution, and that is not executable. If a constitutional amendment is not executable, I have no doubt the Parliament is possessed of the power. Any power...in any institution to ensure what emanated from the Indian Parliament, sanctified by a requisite number of State Legislatures, holds the field," he said.

"I had the benefit yesterday of the wise counsel, experienced counsel of Leader of the House and Leader of the Opposition who were gracious enough to respond to my invitation for an interaction on this very critical issue that is agitating minds in all branches of governance. The issue undoubtedly is serious enough. We three of us together took note of the developments and also took note of the healthy development that for the first time in unprecedented manner the Chief Justice of India took the initiative to put everything in public domain but then a suggestion emanated from Leader of the Opposition and agreed by Leader of the House that the issue needs to be deliberated at my instance with the floor leaders," he added.

Dhankhar highlighted that the legislature and judiciary function best when they operate within their respective domains with efficiency.

"I do not wish to be judgmental on any issue but one thing which has found widespread acceptability in the country is that the entire material available with the Supreme Court has been shared with the people at large and constitution of a committee with that speed I'm sure things will be available to us," the Rajya Sabha Chairman said.

Amid a ruckus and adjournment of Parliament a day ago over DK Shivakumar's reported statement on the Constitution, Congress MP K Suresh on Tuesday said that Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has made "misleading statements" against the Karnataka deputy chief minister.

"Yesterday in Rajya Sabha, Leader of the House JP Nadda and in the Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Ministers Kiren Rijiju, made misleading statements about Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar...those statements are totally false....there is no truth in it...Shivakumar and Congress have denied it," Suresh told ANI.

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Monday witnessed adjournments as treasury benches sought to corner the Congress over purported remarks of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar relating to the Constitution with the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Union Health Minister JP Nadda leading the BJP's attack.

Rijiju sought clarification from Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, regarding the Congress' position on reservation for Muslims. He said Shivakumar's remarks were "extremely serious."

Kharge said that his party took up the Bharat Jodo Yatra across the country to protect the Constitution.

"Nobody can change the Constitution drafted by Babasaheb Ambedkar. Nobody can finish the reservation. To protect it, we did the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. They (points at NDA MPs) break India," Kharge said.

Shivakumar slammed the BJP over its protest on his purported remarks relating to the Constitution and said the party is trying to twist his remarks and he is consulting his legal team.

"I don't want to comment much on it. There is no hide and seek in this issue. On quota, there are several judgments which have come, and after every judgment, amendments have been made to the Constitution; there is nothing else. So they (BJP) are trying to twist it. They don't have any issues. I am happy that Jairam Ramesh has moved privilege motion. I am also consulting legal experts," the Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister said.

Congress MP Manish Tewari has submitted an Adjournment Motion in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, seeking to suspend the regular business of the House to discuss urgent concerns regarding alleged aberrations in the higher judiciary.
In his notice, Tewari emphasized the importance of addressing the matter of national significance. He pointed out that the executive, legislature, judiciary, and a free press are the four pillars supporting India's democracy. The alleged aberrations in the judiciary, according to Tewari, have raised concerns within the legal community and among citizens across the country.

"The recent reports of alleged aberrations in the judiciary have disturbed the legal fraternity and other citizens across the country. Parliament, being the supreme legislative body that exercises oversight on both the executive and even an independent judiciary, must rise to the occasion," Tewari stated in his motion.

The Congress MP called on the government to provide a comprehensive statement on the floor of the House regarding the incidents in question, as they have raised concerns about the integrity, impartiality, and fairness of the judicial system.

Tewari sought the permission of the Chair to raise this matter urgently, highlighting its importance in ensuring the continued trust and confidence of the public in India's judicial processes.

Meanwhile, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Monday witnessed adjournments as treasury benches sought to corner Congress over purported remarks of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar relating to the Constitution with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Union Health Minister JP Nadda leading the BJP's attack.

The Congress hit back and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh submitted a breach of privilege notice against Rijiju in Rajya Sabha.

Ruckus had erupted in Rajya Sabha on Monday over Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's remarks with BJP leaders alleging that he had talked of "changing the Constitution".

Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Tuesday accused Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju of breaching the privilege and insulting the House after he sought clarification from Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge regarding the Congress' position on reservation for Muslims.
Speaking to ANI outside parliament, Tagore hoped that the privilege committee will take action.

"Parliamentary Affairs Minister has breached the privilege and insulted the House itself. Being Parliamentary Affairs Minister (Kiren Rijiju), he should not have done this thing. This is a valid reason for breach of privilege... I hope the privilege committee takes action. Though, till now in Lok Sabha, no privilege committee has been set up," Tagore said.

This comes after Rijiju sought clarification from Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge regarding the Congress' position on reservation for Muslims. He said Shivakumar's remarks were "extremely serious".

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Monday witnessed adjournments as treasury benches sought to corner the Congress over purported remarks of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar relating to the Constitution, with the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Union Health Minister JP Nadda leading the BJP's attack.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Monday submitted a breach of privilege notice to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar against Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju for "misleading" the House over Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar's reported remarks on the Constitution.

DK Shivakumar, also slammed the BJP over its protest on his purported remarks relating to the Constitution and said the party is trying to twist his remarks and he is consulting his legal team.

"I don't want to comment much on it. There is no hide and seek in this issue. On quotas, there are several judgements which have come, and after every judgement, amendments have been made to the Constitution; there is nothing else. So they (BJP) are trying to twist it. They don't have any issues. I am happy that Jairam Ramesh has moved a privilege motion. I am also consulting legal experts," the Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister said.

Govt has recovered Rs 416 crore from ineligible farmers under the central income support scheme, PMKisan, since its launch in 2019, Union agriculture minister
Shivraj Singh Chouhan informed Lok Sabha Tuesday.

The government has identified around 5.6 lakh beneficiaries under the food security scheme who are more than 100 years old while conducting a verification through e-KYC. While informing the Rajya Sabha about this astonishing data on Tuesday, food and consumer affairs minister Pralhad Joshi also highlighted that over 30.6 lakh Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) ration cards have been issued to the poorest families with only one member.

On a question related to social diversity in higher judicial appointments, law ministry informed Parliament last week that about 78% of judges appointed to different high courts in the last seven years, since 2018, were from upper castes, while minorities and Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes comprised 5% each. Those from OBC category were around 12%.

Amid “very grim” air pollution in the country, a parliamentary panel Tuesday flagged that not even 1% of the Rs 858 crore allocated to environment ministry
for a central pollution control scheme had been utilised till the fag end of this fiscal year. The scheme aims to monitor air quality across India and take appropriate mitigation measures, besides monitoring water quality and noise levels.