Lok Sabha Session LIVE Updates: First session of Parliament begins amid Oppn protests, PM Modi takes oath

Lok Sabha Session LIVE Updates: Amid the ongoing Lok Sabha Session, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that no power can touch India’s Constitution we will protect it: Rahul Gandhi after opposition protest in Parliament premises

Lok Sabha Session LIVE Updates: Union Ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Nityanand Rai take oath as members of the 18th Lok Sabha.

Lok Sabha Session LIVE Updates: Faizabad (Ayodhya) MP Awadhesh Prasad on Monday said, ” I will live up to the expectations of god-like voters of Faizabad…Our agendas will be decided now…we have good plans for Ayodhya.”

Lok Sabha Session LIVE Updates: Union Ministers CR Patil and Dr Jitendra Singh took oath as members of the 18th Lok Sabha.

Lok Sabha Session LIVE Updates:  “Narendra Modi, who for the last 10 years has been running an undeclared emergency, who has no respect for democracy, Constitution, who has not answered a single question on the floor of the Parliament, his government in the last session, suspended 146 Opposition MPs from Parliament, 300 questions were struck off record, the PM uses agencies of states against Opposition parties, he has undermined, damaged, destroyed Indian democracy to an extent no other PM had done, not even Indira Gandhi. Indira Gandhi called the an Emergency for 21 months, at the end of it, she called the election, accepted the verdict and left,” TMC leader Sagarika Ghose told PTI.

Lok Sabha Session LIVE Updates: Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, along with other leaders, stage protest inside Parliament premises. 

Lok Sabha Session LIVE Updates: Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia takes oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha.

Speaking to ANI Tagore said, “The attitude of the government is still that of an arrogant government. They superseded a Dalit MP who was an 8-term MP. K Suresh should have been the pro-tem speaker. Unfortunately, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister has taken such a decision without any consultation with the opposition parties…”

Union Minister and JD(U) MP Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh takes oath as member of the 18th Lok Sabha.

Union Minister and BJP MP Piyush Goyal takes oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha.

Union Minister and BJP MP Dharmendra Pradhan takes oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha.

Union Minister and JD(S) MP HD Kumaraswamy takes oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh takes oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha.

Rahul Gandhi arrives at Parliament. 

TMC MP Sougata Roy says, “We are opposing BJP’s efforts to destroy the Constitution, to amend it beyond recognition.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha.

PM Modi notes Emergency’s 50th anniversary falls on June 25, calls it a ‘black spot’ on India’s democracy when Constitution was discarded.

First session of the 18th Lok Sabha commences at the new Parliament building. Swearing-in ceremony of the newly-elected MPs to take place shortly.

“The people of the country expect good steps from the opposition. I hope that the opposition will live up to the expectations of the common citizens of the country to maintain the dignity of democracy. People do not want drama, disturbance. People want substance, not slogans. The country needs a good opposition, a responsible opposition and I have full faith that the MPs who have won in this 18th Lok Sabha will try to fulfill these expectations of the common man…”

INDIA bloc leaders holding copy of Constitution protest in front of the Gandhi statue in Parliament, Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, “The people of the country have given us an opportunity for the third time. This is a great victory, a grand victory. Our responsibility increased threefold…So, I assure the countrymen that in our third tenure, we will work three times harder and we will get three-time results.”

PM Narendra Modi says, “Tomorrow is 25th June. 25th June marks 50 years of the blot that was put on the democracy of India. The new generation of India will never forget that the Constitution of India was completely rejected, every part of the Constitution was torn to pieces, the country was turned into a prison, democracy was completely suppressed…While protecting our Constitution, while protecting the democracy of India, the democratic traditions, the countrymen will take a resolution that no one will dare to do such a thing in India again which was done 50 years ago. We will take a resolution of a vibrant democracy. We will take a resolution to fulfil the dreams of the common people as per the directions of the Constitution of India.”

PM Narendra Modi says, “…The 18th Lok Sabha is starting today. The world’s largest election was conducted in a very grand and glorious manner… This election has also become very important because for the second time after independence, the people of the country have given an opportunity to a government to serve for the third consecutive time…”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, “In Parliamentary democracy, this is a glorious day…For the first time after independence, swearing-in ceremony is taking place at our own new Parliament building. It used to happen in the Old Parliament building. On this significant day, I extend a hearty welcome to all newly-elected MPs, extend them greetings and best wishes.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at the Parliament, ahead of the commencement of the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha today.

Congress MP KC Venugopal says, “…INDIA Alliance is starting the era of a new Parliament with a great symbol. Mahatma Gandhi is a guiding light for the entire nation. The way in which BJP removed the statue of Mahatma Gandhi is unacceptable…Their (BJP) intention to kill democracy is reflecting through this decision – to shift the statue of Mahatma Gandhi to a corner. Then also, we fought the election with this Constitution. It is very important for the nation that the Constitution is maintained for a great future. The way BJP tried to change the Constitution is stopped by the people of India…We are holding the Constitution before going to the Parliament for swearing-in. We are sending a message that Constitution is important…”

On the Pro-tem Speaker issue, “…This is nothing against any individual…You have a senior-most member coming from grassroots level, an 8-term member (K Suresh). What was the criteria for him not being made a Pro-tem Speaker? This is also a clear show of BJP’s mindset…”

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dr Syed Naseer Hussain says, “There will be a positive beginning. Many new MPs have come. We have called all our MPs to the CPP office so that we can instruct them about parliamentary work. There will be a constructive opposition. We will raise people’s issues and when it comes to the country, we will cooperate in that too…”

BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab takes oath as Pro-tem Speaker. 

PM Modi attends oath-taking ceremony of Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday called on BJP leader B Mahtab ahead of his swearing in as pro-tem speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha by President Droupadi Murmu.

Rijiju was accompanied by his deputies Arjun Ram Meghwal and L Murugan.

“Had the privilege of meeting Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab ji before his swearing-in ceremony as the pro tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha…” Rijiju wrote on X.

First Session of 18th Lok Sabha: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh reaches the Parliament.

BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab who has been appointed pro-tem Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha along with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and other party leaders leaves from his residence in Delhi.

The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will begin today.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore says, “…the attitude of the government is still that of an arrogant government. They superseded a Dalit MP who is an 8-term MP. K Suresh should have been the pro-tem speaker. It is very unfortunate that the Parliamentary Affairs Minister has taken such a decision without any consultation with the opposition parties…”

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju says, “…I met all the leaders. Just now I met DMK Parliamentary Party leader TR Baalu. Everyone agrees that Pro tem Speaker has never been an issue in the history of Indian Parliament and the appointment of Pro tem Speaker is basically to administer oath to the newly elected members and help in the election of the new Speaker…”

Congress MP K Suresh says, “…The NDA government has violated the convention of Lok Sabha. So far, the convention was that the MP who was elected for a maximum number of times will be the pro-tem Speaker… Bhartruhari Mahtab is 7th time elected MP. However, I am the 8th time elected MP. They are insulting the opposition again. That’s why the INDIA alliance unanimously decided to boycott the panel members…”

An official letter marking list of business for the day in parliament mentioned, “Observance of silence for a short while to mark the solemn occasion of the first sitting of the Eighteenth Lok Sabha,”

“Secretary-General to lay on the Table a list (Hindi and English versions), containing the names of Members elected to the Eighteenth Lok Sabha at the General Elections of 2024, submitted by the Election Commission of India,” added the list of business.

The Parliament building is all set to host the first Session of the 18th Lok Sabha today. 

Delhi: The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha to begin today.

Delhi: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju leaves from his residence

The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will begin today.

According to the sources, Congress and India Bloc parties are upset with the fact that tradition has been broken as Mehtab was made the Protem Speaker instead of the 8-time Congress MP K Suresh.

The Congress has reacted sharply to the central government’s decision to appoint Mahtab as Pro-tem Speaker of Lok Sabha over senior-most Dalit MP Kodikkunnil Suresh of Congress, saying that the appointment by the BJP deviates from the traditional practice of appointing the senior member.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday reached out to Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay on the eve of the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, amid a face-off with the opposition INDIA bloc over the appointment of BJP leader Bhartuhari Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker.

Rijiju’s meeting with Bandyopadhyay came against the backdrop of the opposition alliance’s decision to pull out its members from the panel of chairpersons that will assist Mahtab in conducting the proceedings of the Lok Sabha till the election of the Speaker on Wednesday.

First session of 18th Lok Sabha: As a symbol of unity, all INDIA bloc MPs will enter the Lok Sabha together. They will assemble where the statue of Mahatma Gandhi was placed earlier. They are likely to carry a copy of the Constitution: Sources

The Samajwadi Party (SP) will convene a crucial meeting of its MPs at the Parliamentary Party Office at the Parliament House in Delhi at 10 a.m. today before the commencement of the first Parliament session, after the conclusion of the Lok Sabha polls 2024, sources said.

The meeting will be held under the chairmanship of party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

In a post on X, Rijiju said he shall always be available to assist the members of Parliament as the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs.

“The First Session of the 18th Lok Sabha begins today, the 24th June, 2024. I welcome all the newly elected Hon’ble members. I shall be always available to assist the members as Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. I’m positively looking forward to co-ordination to run the house,” Rijiju said.

Lok Sabha MPs from the INDIA bloc will assemble in the Parliament complex Monday morning and will march to the House together on the first day of the first session of 18th Lok Sabha, sources said.

The MPs will gather near Gate No 2 of the old Parliament building, where the Gandhi statue once stood, a senior opposition party leader said.

India bloc MPs will not sit on the Speaker’s chair to assist the Protem Speaker during the oath-taking ceremony of MPs.

Congress and India Bloc parties are upset with the fact that, tradition has been broken, 7-time BJP MP Bhratruhari Mehtab was made the Pro-tem Speaker instead of the 8-time Congress MP K Suresh: Sources

The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will begin on Monday, which will witness the oath-taking ceremony of newly-elected Members of Parliament, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The first session is expected to be stormy as the opposition is likely to corner the BJP-led NDA government on the election of the Speaker on June 26, discussions regarding allegations of paper leaks in NEET-UG and UGC-NET, and row over the appointment of the pro-tem Speaker.