New Delhi [India] : The 25-day Winter Session of parliament, during which over 30 bills are expected to be passed, began today. A crucial bill to cancel farm laws was passed in Lok Sabha in the fastest repeal in recent years amid protests by the opposition. The bill to cancel farm laws was passed in Lok Sabha within four minutes – it was tabled at 12:06 pm and passed by 12:10 pm even as the opposition demanded a discussion. The government, critics claimed, evaded a discussion on the minimum support price for farmers’ produce, which has been a key demand during their year-long agitation. Minutes after the Winter Session began, slogans disrupted proceedings in Lok Sabha this morning, which resumed about an hour later; the house has been adjourned now. The crucial Farm Laws Repeal Bill will be tabled in Rajya Sabha “today itself,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said his government is ready to reply to all questions as he underlined, “Whatever voices are raised against the government or government policies – the dignity of parliament and the Speaker’s Chair should be upheld.” In the 19 sittings of the Winter Session, the government is expected to introduce over 30 legislative Bills and one Finance Bill. The Farm Laws Repeal Bill was introduced by the Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. The ruling BJP and the opposition Congress had issued whips to their MPs to be present on the first day. The other bills to be passed in the session include the crucial Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Second Amendment) Bill, 2021, and the Electricity (Amendment) Bill. The Prime Minister skipped the all party meeting. Denying it was a break in tradition, Parliamentary Affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said, “There was no tradition of Prime Minister attending the all-party meeting. It was started by Modi ji”. Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress’s leader in the Rajya Sabha, said they were expecting the Prime Minister to attend. “We wanted to ask more about the farm laws as there are some apprehensions that these three laws may again come in some other form,” he said. On Sunday, 31 parties attended the meeting, but the Aam Aadmi Party walked out in the middle of it. Sanjay Singh, who was representing the party, said he was not allowed to speak. The Trinamool Congress expanding rapidly at the cost of the Congress on Sunday assured that it will remain a part of the united opposition, allaying concerns of rift ahead of the winter session.
