Day 3 of the Winter Session began with the INDIA bloc holding a protest against the Labour Codes even as Parliament prepared to take up key Bills and debates.
Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and several Opposition MPs hold a protest against the labour laws in the Parliament premises during the Winter Session, in New Delhi on Wednesday. (ANI Photo)
Proceedings are now underway in Parliament on Day 3 of the Winter Session. The two Houses are expected to function today, with both the Treasury and Opposition benches preparing for a packed schedule. While the Centre has agreed to hold a debate on electoral reforms early next week, the INDIA bloc started the day with a protest outside Parliament against the newly implemented Labour Codes — signalling that political friction will run parallel to legislative business.
Opposition leaders, including Congress MPs Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, staged a protest outside Parliament against the Labour Codes. Meanwhile, TMC MPs held a protest against the Centre over pending central funds due for West Bengal. Some Opposition MPs were also seen entering Parliament House wearing gas masks to protest against air pollution in the national capital.
Advertisement
Earlier, Congress MP Manickam Tagore, who has submitted an adjournment notice in the Lok Sabha seeking a discussion on the Codes, said the Opposition will push the issue on multiple fronts. “From today, the Parliament will function in the morning, and we are going to protest outside the Parliament against the Labour Codes,” he told news agency ANI.
Advertisement
The protest against labour Codes came after a stormy Tuesday, when repeated adjournments over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists stalled the Lok Sabha. The Opposition also protested against the government directive to mobile manufacturers to pre-install the Department of Telecom’s Sanchar Saathi app.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that snooping was neither possible nor would happen via the Sanchar Saathi app. The remarks came a day after the Opposition expressed outrage over the Centre’s recent directive to mobile manufacturers and importers to pre-install the app on all new mobile phones, as well as push the same to devices already sold via software updates.
Following the uproar in Parliament as well as outside, Scindia had last evening clarified that the app would remain optional and users would have the choice whether to activate it or not. Further, there would always remain the freedom with the users to uninstall the Sanchar Saathi application, the ninister added.
The leaders of many opposition parties today held a meeting in Parliament to discuss their joint strategy for the Winter Session. The meeting was attended by floor leaders of various parties, including the Congress, DMK, RJD, SP, JMM, CPI-M, CPI, IUML, NCP-SP, and SS-UBT. Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs skipped the meeting. The party had also given a miss to the last meeting of opposition leaders held on December 1, the first day of the Winter Session.
The Centre has notified all four Labour Codes – Code on Wages (2019), Industrial Relations Code (2020), Code on Social Security (2020) and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code (2020) – bringing them into effect from November 21 and consolidating 29 existing labour laws.
Government officials have highlighted measures such as timely wages, night-shift permissions for women with safeguards, and social security for gig workers.
But Congress and Left leaders have sharply criticised the Codes. Kerala Congress leader K Muraleedharan has termed them “anti-national”, while Kerala Labour Minister V Sivankutty has said the state will not implement the four Codes.
The Industrial Relations Code recognises unions with 51% membership as the Negotiating Union, which the Centre argues strengthens collective bargaining. It also widens the definition of a strike to include mass casual leave — a move aimed at preventing flash strikes.
Tagore also accused the government of showing “arrogance” by refusing to discuss the SIR exercise earlier. He told ANI that questions on “vote chori” and the Election Commission’s conduct were brushed aside for months.
“They first neglect it, laugh at it and keep complaining about the Opposition parties… At last, they have to accept the truth that the right to vote is under threat,” he said.
The government has now agreed to a 10-hour debate on electoral reforms on December 9, and a discussion on 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’ on December 8.
As per the listed business accessed by ANI, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to move the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025 for consideration and passing once the Lok Sabha sits. The Bill proposes raising excise duties and cess on tobacco products.
The Lok Sabha is also scheduled to receive a message from the Rajya Sabha on the Manipur GST (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025, already cleared by the Lower House earlier in the session.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi will move a motion seeking the House’s approval of the Eleventh Report of the Business Advisory Committee.
Members Balashowry Vallabhaneni and Vivek Thakur will present two reports on the status of subordinate legislation framed under the Railways Ministry and the Fisheries Department. The Lok Sabha will also make an obituary reference to former Congress MP Rameshwar Dudi.
In the Upper House, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav is expected to move a statutory resolution to adopt the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Act, 2024, in Manipur.
Both Houses are expected to attempt a smoother run today after floor leaders agreed on Tuesday to avoid disruptions.
Advertisement
