Winter Session Chaos: Opposition MPs Wear Gas Masks as Delhi Air Pollution Hits 'Very Poor' Levels

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The third day of the winter session of the Indian Parliament witnessed intense protests by Opposition MPs, who donned gas masks to highlight the alarming air pollution in Delhi. The city's Air Quality Index (AQI) slipped into the 'very poor' category, with a reading of 376, just shy of the 'severe' mark. The Opposition has been demanding a debate on the worsening air quality, which they claim is a pressing issue that needs immediate attention. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi urged the government to include air pollution in the list of business and hold a discussion on it. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet all Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs from Bengal BJP today. The INDIA bloc floor leaders held a crucial meeting on Wednesday to discuss their strategy after the Centre agreed to hold a debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll. Opposition MPs also staged a protest outside the Parliament against the four new labour codes, which they claim are a 'clear breach of privacy' of smartphone and cell phone users. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were among the leaders who held placards and demanded the scrapping of the labour codes. The Centre has made the four Labour Codes effective from November 21, rationalising 29 existing labour laws. While the government has highlighted the benefits of the codes, including timely wages and social security for gig workers, Congress and Left party leaders have opposed them, raising concerns. The deadlock over the SIR has ended, with the government agreeing to hold a debate on the issue next week. The Opposition has also demanded a discussion on national security in the backdrop of the Delhi blasts and the Centre's alleged unwillingness to send funds to non-NDA-ruled states. The Parliament winter session is set to end on December 19, with several key issues still pending. The Rajya Sabha floor leaders are expected to finalise a plan to debate the two subjects, Vande Mataram and SIR, in the Upper House on Wednesday.