New Delhi:
As Parliament reconvenes today, both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are bracing for heated debates on pressing issues, including the NEET paper leak, inflation, and the Agnipath scheme.

Here are 10 points on this big story:

New Delhi:

Objecting to the Rajya Sabha continuing its proceedings after a member fainted in the House and was taken to the hospital, the Opposition MPs on Friday accused the government of showing a total lack of concern towards the member. The Opposition parties staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha after the Chair refused to adjourn the House even as MP Phulo Devi Netam fainted and was taken to the hospital.

#WATCH | Congress party’s Rajya Sabha MP Phulo Devi Netam being taken away in an ambulance from Parliament after she felt dizzy and fell. She was protesting in the Well of of the House over NEET issue when the incident happened. She is being taken to RML hospital. pic.twitter.com/ljyXgCfuMA

— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2024

This came as the entire opposition staged a protest in the Upper House demanding a debate on the NEET issue.

Phulo Devi Netam, a Rajya Sabha member of the Congress from Chhattisgarh, fainted while the opposition leaders were protesting demanding an immediate discussion on the NEET issue.

According to the Rajya Sabha MPs, Phulo Devi Netam’s blood pressure had shot up to 214/140, which the doctor said was “stroke level”. She was taken to the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital and admitted in the ICU.

Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury said that continuing the House in such a situation was against humanity.

“A member of the Parliament fainted, the Parliament doctor saw her blood pressure was at stroke level. Some MPs are going to the hospital to take care of her, but the House will go on proceeding… There is no value in the life of a person, a member of the Parliament, a woman,” Renuka Chowdhury said.

“Are they disposable commodities? They can run the House as and when they like. Is this democracy? Humanity and social decency says if a member has fainted, the MPs should accompany them. The House can run after that,” she added.

DMK leader Tiruchi Siva said they were forced to walkout.

“We gave notices under Rule 267 to discuss the NEET issue… But they didn’t allow it. Opposition parties were raising slogans which is nothing abnormal. Ruling party did not yield to that. Phulo Devi suddenly fainted, even after that they are continuing the debate,” Tiruchi Siva said.

“In over two decades in the Parliament, I have never come across anything like this. Chair used to listen to the opposition parties. Both sides should be treated equally, there should be a balance. Now everything is tilted to one side. Even after such an incident, the House continues. What are they going to achieve?” he asked.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sagarika Ghose said there was total lack of concern from the government when the MP fainted.

“Her blood pressure was at the level of getting a stroke. If someone is in such bad condition, some mercy should be shown. They are not showing any mercy, they are continuing to run the House, so we walked out in protest because she became unconscious, fell on the floor and there has been such lack of concern from the government, it is inhuman,” she said.

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MP Mahua Majhi said that she accompanied Phulo Devi Netam in the ambulance, adding she has been admitted to the ICU and is recovering.

“She was given medicine. She is now in the ICU and recovering. She will be under observation for some time,” Mahua Majhi said.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) also joined the INDIA bloc parties in the protest demanding discussion on the NEET exam, as well as the walkout.

“We wanted a debate on NEET. When it was not done, we went to the House, protested, that was not allowed. Thereafter an honourable member fainted while she was in the Well. She has been shifted to the RML. We urged the House to be adjourned but that was not done, so we all opposition parties walked out in protest,” said BJD leader Sasmit Patra.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Union Health Minister JP Nadda is likely to be the party’s leader in the Rajya Sabha, sources told NDTV Friday afternoon. Mr Nadda will also, for now, retain his post as the BJP’s National President, underlining his importance in the leadership structure.

Mr Nadda – a Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state – took oath as part of the new cabinet last week; he was also given charge of Chemicals and Fertilisers Ministry.

He returned to a familiar role, having also served as Health Minister in the first Modi government.

READ | BJP Chief JP Nadda Returns As Health Minister In Modi 3.0

After he was sworn in there was speculation Mr Nadda would step down from his BJP National President post, which he took over from current Union Home Minister Amit Shah in 2020.

However, it now appears Mr Nadda will remain the BJP’s top organisational leader.

Party laws say a National President is elected only after organisational elections are completed in 50 per cent of all states, which is expected to continue for about six months.

The new president, therefore, may be elected in December-January.

About JP Nadda

Mr Nadda, who holds a degree in law, started his political journey with the ABVP, or Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the students’ wing of the RSS, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh that is the BJP’s ideological mentor. He became leader of the party’s youth wing, the BJYM, or the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, in 1991.

He was first elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2012 – from Himachal Pradesh – and was made a member of the BJP’s parliamentary board in 2014, when Amit Shah took over as the party’s President.

He earlier also served as a MLA in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly; he won the Bilaspur seat three times – 1993, 1998, and 2007 – and served as the Health Minister between 1998 and 2003.

In April this year he was elected as the Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat.

2024 Lok Sabha Election Result

PM Modi’s BJP won 240 seats in the just concluded Lok Sabha poll, 32 short of a majority in the 543-member lower house — its worst showing in a decade.

This has left the BJP reliant on two big partners – Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP (16 MPs) and Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United (12 MPs). And with help from other allies, it sits comfortably on 293 seats.

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.

New Delhi:

BJP national president JP Nadda and five other newly-elected members of the Rajya Sabha took oath on Saturday.

The oath was administered by Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Hon’ble Vice-President of India & Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar administered oath to Shri Jagat Prakash Narayan Lal Nadda ji as the elected Member of Rajya Sabha in Parliament House today. @JPNaddapic.twitter.com/D9qLw6Hl4x

— Vice President of India (@VPIndia) April 6, 2024

Among others who also took oath include Ashokrao Shankarrao Chavan (Maharashtra), Chunnilal Garasiya (Rajasthan), Anil Kumar Yadav Mandadi (Telangana), Sushmita Dev and Mohammad Nadimul Haque (both West Bengal).

Ms. Sushmita Dev ji
Shri Mohammad Nadimul Haque ji @SushmitaDevAITC@MdNadimulHaque6pic.twitter.com/rS9DJ8Io7I

— Vice President of India (@VPIndia) April 6, 2024

“Vice-President of India & Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar administered oath to Shri Jagat Prakash Narayan Lal Nadda ji as the elected Member of Rajya Sabha in Parliament House today,” Mr Dhankhar’s office said in a post on X while sharing pictures of the oath-taking.

His office also said that the Chairman, Rajya Sabha, also administered oath to the elected members of the Rajya Sabha in Parliament House which include Ashokrao Shankarrao Chavan, Chunnilal Garasiya, Anil Kumar Yadav Mandadi, Sushmita Dev and Mohammad Nadimul Haque. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Elamaram Kareem, CPI (M) MP from Kerala, says that there is no mention of the 60-crore workforce of India in the Bill. Only with Ayodhya, they cannot overcome the next election, he says. 

AITC MP Jawhar Sircar asks the government what is the GDP growth now. We get the impression that it is at its highest level, but this is not a fact, he says. The growth during UPA’s tenure has been over 8.1%, while the growth under this government has been 5.5%, he says. This year it has reached 7.3%, but it does not destroy the averages, he adds, saying that we need to be clear about statistics instead of misleading the people. 

He says that there is a feeling as if everything began from 2014, and before then was an era of complete darkness, and counters it saying that as mature people we cannot repeat these sentiments. We have to get out of this ‘before Modi and after Modi’ mindset, he says. 

He highlights that right now the total domestic debt of India stands at Rs. 164 lakh crores.

He also asserts that several States are being affected by what he calls ‘fiscal terrorism,’ including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. He says that there are cuts in all domains, and the money is going towards capital expenditure, to the capitalist class which is contributing only 10% to the GDP.