Parliament Budget Session to resume tomorrow, massive showdown expected by opposition

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will table the "Tribhuvan" Sahkari University Bill, 2025, to establish the Institute of Rural Management Anand as a University to be known as the "Tribhuvan" Sahkari University and declare it an institution of national importance.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present a statement of Manipur's estimated receipts and expenditures for the year 2025-26.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will table the Bills of Lading Bill, 2024, to "make provisions for the transfer of rights of suit and all liabilities to the consignee named in a bill of lading and every endorsee of a bill of lading, to whom the property in the goods mentioned in the bill of lading shall pass, upon or by reason of a consignment or an endorsement, and for matters connected therewith or related thereto, be taken into consideration."

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi would lay standing committee reports on Home Affairs, including the "251st report on action taken by the government on the recommendations contained in the Two Hundred Forty-Fifth Report of the Committee on 'Prison - Conditions, Infrastructure and Reforms. '"

In Rajya Sabha, the list of business entails Amit Shah laying papers, including a proclamation issued by the President on February 13, 2025, under article 356 of the Constitution in relation to the State of Manipur, under clause (3) of the said article.

Meanwhile, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will move that the Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2024, as passed by the Lok Sabha, be considered.

Sitharaman presented her 8th consecutive budget on February 1. The budget session will conclude on April 4.

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned till March 10 on Thursday with the JPC report on the Waqf Amendment Bill tabled in Parliament and the two Houses completing debate on the Union Budget with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman replying to marathon discussion.

The JPC report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was also tabled in the two Houses of Parliament.

While BJP member Jagdambika Pal, who was JPC Chairperson, tabled the report in Lok Sabha, party MP Medha Vishram Kulkarni tabled it in the Rajya Sabha.

They also tabled a copy of the record of evidence given before the panel on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.

With opposition members protesting in the Lok Sabha that all their dissent notes had not been included, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the government would have no opposition if the opposition's dissent notes were added to the report.

"Some members of the opposition have raised objections that their dissent notes have not been fully included in the report. On behalf of my party, I would like to request that the disputes of the opposition be included in the appropriate procedure of the parliamentary process; my party has no objection to this," he said.

Speaker Om Birla said that the concerns of opposition members had been accommodated."Whatever issues were raised by the members of the Waqf Board who met with me, I have included them in the annexure," Birla said.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the New Income Tax Bill in Lok Sabha. Rajya Sabha witnessed an adjournment after the JPC report was tabled in the House, with opposition members protesting over their demand.

There were allegations and counter-allegations amid the opposition and treasury benches, with both sides accusing each other of misleading the House. Opposition members also staged a walkout. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said there had been no alterations to the report that was tabled.

"I have checked the concerns raised by the opposition. There have been no deletions or removals from the report. Everything is on the floor of the House. On what basis can such an issue be raised? The members of the Opposition are creating an unnecessary issue, which is not a fact. The allegation is false," Rijiju said in the Rajya Sabha.

Objecting, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that it is not right to remove the dissenting notes and views of the opposition members from the report.

"In the JPC report on the Waqf Board, many members have their dissent report. It is not right to remove those notes and bulldoze our views. This is anti-democratic and condemnable," he said.

"Stakeholders were called from outside, and their statements were taken. I condemn any report that has been presented after deleting the dissenting reports. We will never accept such fake reports. If the report does not have dissenting views, it should be sent back and presented again," Kharge said.

Sitharaman introduced the New Income Tax Bill, 2025, which aims to simplify tax laws, modernize definitions, and provide more clarity on various tax-related matters.

This new bill, tabled in Lok Sabha by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, seeks to replace the existing Income Tax Act, 1961 and introduce changes that affect different categories of taxpayers, including individuals, businesses, and non-profit organisations.

The minister proposed sending the bill to the select committee. One of the significant changes in the new bill is the introduction of simplified language and modern terminology. It replaces outdated terms with new ones that align with today's economy.

For example, it introduces the term "tax year" instead of existing terms like financial year and assessment year systems. It also defines "virtual digital asset" and "electronic mode", reflecting the growing importance of digital transactions and cryptocurrency in today's financial landscape.

The budget session began with an address by President Droupadi Murmu to the joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament. (ANI)