New Delhi, 25 Nov. 24 — The Winter Session of the Indian Parliament has officially commenced on Monday, following the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) victories in Haryana and Maharashtra. Ahead of the session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the media, launching a sharp attack on the Congress party.
Modi accused Congress of disrespecting Parliament and undermining democracy, stating that those "repeatedly rejected by the people" were now attempting to weaken the institution of Parliament. Despite this criticism, the Prime Minister expressed hopes for "healthy discussions" but warned that some members of the Opposition were resorting to "hooliganism" in an attempt to control Parliament, even after being rejected by the electorate.
According to reports, the start of the session saw both Houses of Parliament quickly adjourned amid disruptions, with opposition members raising slogans, leading to a brief suspension of proceedings.
Several important bills are set to be tabled during the session, including the Waqf Amendment Bill, the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, and the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, which aims to amend key banking legislation, including the Reserve Bank of India Act, the Banking Regulation Act, and the Banking Companies Act.
The government is also preparing to introduce the Railway Act Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha and is expected to bring forward the much-discussed 'One Nation, One Election' bill.
In the Rajya Sabha, the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024, which seeks to regulate the aviation industry, aims to establish comprehensive control over the design, manufacture, operation, sale, and import/export of aircraft in India.
Leaders of the INDIA alliance, which includes Congress, held a meeting, with Congress leader Pramod Tiwari stating that the Opposition would focus on a range of critical issues, including the ongoing violence in Manipur, where "rapes and murders are happening" and law and order is deteriorating. Unemployment and rising pollution levels in northern India were also raised as major concerns by the Opposition.