Editor's Pick |Parliament logjam ends; Constitution debate on cards

After a week-long logjam in Parliament, there was a breakthrough on Monday (December 2, 2024) with the Government and the Opposition agreeing to hold a discussion on the Constitution in both Houses. The government also agreed to allow debate on issues such as the situation in Bangladesh and violence in Sambhal to be raised during Zero Hour. Any discussion on the Adani indictment, however, has been ruled out, with the government arguing that it was a matter that had taken place in a foreign country. Main opposition party Congress has decided not to disrupt the Parliament any further over the Adani issue, but will protest outside the Makar Dwar of the Parliament complex at 10.30 a.m today. The thaw took place at a meeting of floor leaders of all parties called by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The government has agreed to a discussion on the Constitution on December 13-14 in the Lok Sabha and December 16-17 in the Rajya Sabha. The demand had been made by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as well as Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in separate letters to Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar and Mr Birla respectively on November 26 last week. “Lok Sabha Speaker met with floor leaders of all the parties. Everybody expressed their frustration on no functioning of the Parliament. Everybody was of the view that it is not appropriate to waste people’s money. The Opposition also put forward their demand, there was a proposal in business advisory committee to have discussion on the Constitution, the government has agreed to it,” Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced to the media. He also announced that the first Bill of the session would be passed on Tuesday. Sources said that at the meeting with Mr. Birla, it was agreed that Samajwadi Party would be allowed to raise the issue of violence in Sambhal, Trinamool Congress would raise Bangladesh situation and DMK would address the devastation caused by Cyclone Fengal in the Lok Sabha during the Zero Hour on Tuesday (December 3, 2024). Both Houses of Parliament have not been functioning since the start of the winter session on November 25. While the Lok Sabha has functioned for just 67 minutes, the Rajya Sabha has worked for 93 minutes. The INDIA bloc has seen split opinions on the parliamentary logjam, with the Congress losing support from other opposition parties. The Trinamool Congress in particular expressed its discomfort with the continued disruption in Parliament and had skipped out on a few recent INDIA bloc meetings. In one such meeting held on Monday, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi reportedly said that the Adani issue could not be dropped as it concerns the people. To this, some Left leaders suggested that alternatives could be explored, such as a march to the Rashtrapati Bhawan or a Dharna (protest) inside the Parliament Complex. Following this meet, Congress Lok Sabha Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi and senior MP and Public Accounts Committee Chairman KC Venugopal met the Speaker Om Birla and restated their demand for a two-day discussion on the Constitution. The meeting of all party floor leaders was held by Mr. Birla after this. The Congress is considering the Centre agreeing to a debate on the Constitution a climbdown by the government. The decision to protest outside the Makar Dwar was taken at a meeting of the Congress party yesterday evening. The Hindu’s Editorials ​A wake-up call: On the growth forecast New crimes, old tools: On holding cyber fraudsters accountable The Hindu’s Daily Quiz When is the swearing-in function of the Maharashtra government fixed? December 6 December 5 December 2 December 10 To know the answer and to play the full quiz, click here. [logo] Editor's Pick 03 December 2024 [The Hindu logo] [EP Logo] Editor's Pick 03 December 2024 In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [View in browser]( [More newsletters]( Parliament logjam ends; Constitution debate on cards After a week-long logjam in Parliament, [there was a breakthrough on MondayÂ]( 2, 2024) with the Government and the Opposition agreeing to hold a discussion on the Constitution in both Houses. The government also agreed to allow debate on issues such as the situation in Bangladesh and violence in Sambhal to be raised during Zero Hour. Any discussion on the Adani indictment, however, has been ruled out, with the government arguing that it was a matter that had taken place in a foreign country. Main opposition party Congress has decided not to disrupt the Parliament any further over the Adani issue, but will protest outside the Makar Dwar of the Parliament complex at 10.30 a.m today. The thaw took place at a meeting of floor leaders of all parties called by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The government has agreed to a discussion on the Constitution on December 13-14 in the Lok Sabha and December 16-17 in the Rajya Sabha. The demand had been made by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as well as Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in separate letters to Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar and Mr Birla respectively on November 26 last week. “Lok Sabha Speaker met with floor leaders of all the parties. Everybody expressed their frustration on no functioning of the Parliament. Everybody was of the view that it is not appropriate to waste people’s money. The Opposition also put forward their demand, there was a proposal in business advisory committee to have discussion on the Constitution, the government has agreed to it,” Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced to the media. He also announced that the first Bill of the session would be passed on Tuesday. Sources said that at the meeting with Mr. Birla, it was agreed that Samajwadi Party would be allowed to raise the issue of violence in Sambhal, Trinamool Congress would raise Bangladesh situation and DMK would address the devastation caused by Cyclone Fengal in the Lok Sabha during the Zero Hour on Tuesday (December 3, 2024). Both Houses of Parliament [have not been functioningÂ]( the start of the winter session on November 25. While the Lok Sabha has functioned for just 67 minutes, the Rajya Sabha has worked for 93 minutes. The INDIA bloc has seen split opinions on the parliamentary logjam, with the Congress losing support from other opposition parties. [The Trinamool Congress]( in particular expressed its discomfort with the continued disruption in Parliament and had skipped out on a few recent INDIA bloc meetings. In one such meeting held on Monday, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi reportedly said that the Adani issue could not be dropped as it concerns the people. To this, some Left leaders suggested that alternatives could be explored, such as a march to the Rashtrapati Bhawan or a Dharna (protest) inside the Parliament Complex. Following this meet, Congress Lok Sabha Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi and senior MP and Public Accounts Committee Chairman KC Venugopal met the Speaker Om Birla and restated their demand for a two-day discussion on the Constitution. The meeting of all party floor leaders was held by Mr. Birla after this. The Congress is considering the Centre agreeing to a debate on the Constitution a climbdown by the government. The decision to protest outside the Makar Dwar was taken at a meeting of the Congress party yesterday evening. The Hindu’s Editorials [Arrow][​A wake-up call: On the growth forecastÂ]( [Arrow][New crimes, old tools: On holding cyber fraudsters accountableÂ]( The Hindu’s Daily Quiz When is the swearing-in function of the Maharashtra government fixed? - December 6 - December 5 - December 2 - December 10 To know the answer and to play the full quiz, [click here](. 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