Parliament Budget Session: Piyush Goyal to give statement on India-US trade deal in Rajya Sabha

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will today speak on India-US trade deal. US President Donald Trump on Monday announced a trade deal between the two nations. Besides, he also reduced the tariffs on India to 18 per cent. 

Reacting to the suspension of 8 MPs from the Lok Sabha, DMK MP Kanimozhi said there was little point in holding debates if the treasury benches dictated what the Opposition could say. Questioning the purpose of parliamentary discussion under such conditions, she added that disruptions would be unnecessary if Opposition members were allowed to speak, and said she did not understand why 8 MPs had been suspended without any valid reason.

Congress MPs, including Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other MPs protest at Makar Dwar of the Parliament, against the suspension of 8 Congress MPs from Lok Sabha and against the India-US trade agreement.

Eight Opposition MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha for disorderly conduct after throwing papers towards the Chair. Of the 8 members suspended, 6 are Manickam Tagore, Gurjeet Ojla, Raja Warring, Ebi Eden, Kiren Reddy, and Venkat Raman.

The Speaker condemned the incident as a breach of parliamentary decorum and warned that such behaviour would not be tolerated during the Budget Session.

Several Congress MPs have been suspended from the Lok Sabha for throwing papers at the chair for the whole Budget Session. These MPs include Manickam Tagore, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Kiran Kumar Reddy, Hibi Eden and Venkat Raman.  

Reacting to Rahul Gandhi attempting to quote from an unpublished memoir of former Army chief during debate on Monday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, "We have just told the Congress leaders that Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi ji can continue his speech, but the things that the former Army Chief did not say, which are not true or for which there is no permission under the rules, they should not stubbornly try to force such statements, because of which the chance of other party MPs is also getting ruined."

The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 3 pm after BJP MPs strongly objected to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi raising the China issue during the debate on the motion of thanks to the President's address, leading to disruptions in the House.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi addressed the Lok Sabha, raising concerns about China and referring to points mentioned in the unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General MM Naravane. His remarks sparked renewed attention on national security issues during the ongoing session.

Members of several opposition parties staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha while raising the issue of the Indo-US trade deal and demanding a discussion on it. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh raised the issue of the Indo-US trade deal soon after the zero hour ended and alleged that the information about the deal was being received from Washington instead. As opposition members started protesting in the house, Leader of the House J P Nadda said the US President was informed about the reduction in tariffs on Indian goods through a post on social media and also spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor called for clarity on the India-US trade deal, saying that while reducing tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent could be positive, the government must explain the details. "I want to know what it contains. The Opposition is only asking for clarity. We don't know what the deal contains. We have Mr Trump's tweet and Mr Modi's tweet; is that enough in a parliamentary democracy? Shouldn't the Govt of India come and explain to the people of the country what's in the deal?" he added. 

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla met Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Congress leaders Gaurav Gogoi and KC Venugopal amid a standoff in the lower house over former army chief MM Naravane's unpublished book. Parliamentary sources said the meeting was held in a bid to arrive at a consensus on smooth functioning of the house. It is learnt that the house may function from 2 pm. 

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi was spotted interacting with party MPs in the Parliament premises, engaging in brief discussions as the India-US trade deal has taken the centre-stage. The Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 2 pm. 

The proceeding of the Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 2 pm amid continued ruckus by the Opposition leaders. Both Houses of Parliament were scheduled to continue the discussion on the motion of 'Thanks to the President's address' during the ongoing Budget Session on Tuesday.

Reacting to Opposition MPs who raised the India-US trade agreement issue in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister JP Nadda said that the US President had tweeted late last night on tariffs and referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "true friend". He added that the Prime Minister also responded with a tweet thanking the US President and mentioning trade. Nadda said the government will present a suo motu statement on the trade deal and follow it with a detailed discussion in the House. Criticising the Opposition’s approach, he remarked that when the government is ready to clarify every aspect of the agreement, the disruptive stance of Congress and the INDI alliance reflects "their frustration."

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is heading back to Delhi and is expected to deliver a statement in Parliament today regarding the status of the India-US trade deal, according to sources. His return comes amid heightened interest in the ongoing negotiations and the possibility of key announcements during the ongoing session.

The Lok Sabha proceedings opened amid loud sloganeering and continuous protests by Opposition MPs, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House until 12 noon.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed following the conclusion of the NDA Parliamentary Party meeting. The meeting was held ahead of today's proceedings in the Parliament. 

Congress MP KC Venugopal has given the Adjournment Motion Notice in the Lok Sabha to discuss the India-US Trade Agreement. "Despite the significant economic, agricultural, and strategic implications of these reported commitments, the Government has neither made an official statement nor taken Parliament into confidence. The country has the right to know the exact terms and conditions of the proposed trade deal, and it is imperative that the Government place all details before Parliament and the nation. Given the urgency and public importance of the matter, this issue warrants immediate discussion through an Adjournment Motion."

NDA MPs felicitated Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Parliamentary Party meeting for the trade deal with the United States. This comes after Trump said that the US and India "have agreed to a trade deal," with Washington reducing the reciprocal tariff from 25 per cent to 18 per cent, "out of friendship and respect" for PM Modi. BJP National President Nitin Nabin was also formally welcomed at the meeting.

The Congress has demanded that the Modi government should take Parliament into confidence and the text of both the EU and US trade deals must be laid on the table of both Houses and debated. Trump on Monday said India and the US agreed to a trade deal under which Washington will bring down the reciprocal tariff on Indian goods to 18 per cent from the current 25 per cent, Trump said on Monday after a phone conversation with PM Modi.