Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday made a fervent appeal to protesters to end their agitation against the new farm laws even as he questioned opposition parties for their sudden "U-turn" on the agriculture reforms. The Prime Minister also hit out at those behind the protests, saying a new "breed" of agitators has emerged in the country who cannot live without agitation and the country should be beware of them. He also said the new FDI (Foreign Destructive Ideology) has emerged in the country and "we need to be more aware to save the country from such ideology".

Modi also stressed that India is very proud of the contribution of Sikhs and the language used by some for them will not benefit the country. He alleged that some people are also trying to defame Sikhs.

"This is a community that has done so much for the nation. The country takes pride in the contribution of Sikhs, but some people are trying to defame them. The words and blessings of the Guru Sahibs are precious. The language used by some for them will not benefit the country," he said, replying to the Motion of Thanks on the President's address in Rajya Sabha.

On the farm sector and the ongoing protest, Modi said, "MSP was there. MSP is there. MSP will remain in the future. Affordable ration for the poor will continue. Mandis will be modernised".

He quoted former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the need for reforms in the farm sector and said Congress should take pride that Modi had to do what the former Prime Minister wanted.

Modi said since 2014 his government has initiated changes in the agriculture sector aimed at empowering the farmer.

The crop insurance scheme was changed to make it more farmer-friendly. The PM-KISAN scheme was also brought in, he added.

Here are the top highlights from the Parliament Budget Session 2021 today:

No proposal for JNU name change: There is no proposal for changing the name of the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank told the Lok Sabha on Monday. BJP general secretary C T Ravi had proposed last year a name change of the JNU after Swami Vivekananda.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury: We can't remain silent when lakhs of farmers are sitting on borders of Delhi. Over 206 farmers have lost their lives & nails have been fixed to stop them from entering Delhi. Our demand was just to hold discussion on farmers issue after President's address

Rajnath Singh appeals in Lok Sabha to take up debate on motion of thanks to President's address: Our democracy is lively & healthy, and everyone above party lines wants to keep it the same. It's our responsibility to keep dignity of every institution. I appeal to everyone to hold discussions on Presidential address and not let traditions break down

Pakistan’s mischief now limited to the border: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in the Rajya Sabha on Monday that the Indian Army has limited Pakistan's mischief to just the border, giving a befitting reply to their misadventure. No praise is enough for the actions taken by the Army, BSF and other security forces in containing Pakistan sponsored terrorist activities," he said while replying during the Question Hour.

Government brings Bill to replace ordinance facilitating regularisation of unauthorised colonies in Delhi: The government introduced a bill in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, which seeks to replace the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020. Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri introduced the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in the Upper House of Parliament. (PTI)

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sushil Kumar Singh gives Zero hour notice in Lok Sabha over "poor condition of NH-19 (National Highway)."

RS passes J&K Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill: Rajya Sabha was adjourned till tomorrow after passing the Jammu and Kashmir reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2021. The Bill seeks to replace the ordinance to merge the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) cadre of civil services officer with the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre

327 stone pelting incidents in 2020 as compared to 2009 in 2019: MoS Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy said that 157 terrorists were neutralised in 2019 and 221 were eliminated in 2020. There were 594 cases of terrorist violence in 2019, that reduced to 244 in 2020. There were 327 stone pelting incidents in 2020 as compared to 2,009 such incidents in 2019.

Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge: PM overlooked Congress' proposal on what lacks in 3 farm laws and rejected concerns of farmers, graduates & scientists saying nobody knows anything.

4,649 LoC ceasefire violations in 2020 by Pakistan: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday informed the Rajya Sabha that in 2020 there were a total of 4,649 ceasefire violations by Pakistan on the Line of Control (LoC). The Defence Minister said that ceasefire violations have been increasing since 2011. He said that about 14,000 bunkers were being built and a majority of them have been completed to save civilian lives. Singh said the Jammu and Kashmir government have been providing compensations to the victims families and incase of animals also the same parameter is adopted. The latest ceasefire violation took place on February 4 in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district in which an Indian Army soldier was killed. (Source: IANS)

Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad: Most areas in J&K are forests & mountains. When it was made UT, many MPs said they'll buy land there. I said I've not been able to do so & asked them if they know the cost of land in Jammu & Srinagar. Price of land in these cities is Rs 40-50 cr per acre. Existence of land is almost negligent in Jammu and Kashmir, that's why Maharaja Hari Singh added that provision for land

BKU leader Rakesh Tikait said: "When did we say that MSP is ending? We said that a law be formed on MSP. If such a law is formed, all the farmers of the country will be benefitted. Right now, there is no law on MSP and the farmers are looted by traders."

When did we say that MSP is ending? We said that a law be formed on MSP. If such a law is formed, all the farmers of the country will be benefitted. Right now, there is no law on MSP and the farmers are looted by traders: Rakesh Tikait, Bharatiya Kisan Union pic.twitter.com/xZDhUzH3nV

— ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021

Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Rajya Sabha in reply to a question 'is there any probability that few estates of Defence will be privatised in time to come': "We're emphasising on indigenisation and have chosen 101 items that won't be imported from other nations but manufactured in India by Indians." He also said, "11 Rafale aircraft have arrived in India. By this March, India will have 17 Rafale aircraft. By April 2022, all Rafale aircraft (the entire batch) will come to India." Singh also told the Rajya Sabha that Defence PSU companies set for disinvestment are BEML, Mishra Dhatu and Garden Reach Ship.

PM Modi: "Ghulam Nabi ji always speaks decently, never uses foul language. We should learn this from him, I respect him for it. He praised elections held in J&K... I believe your party will take it in the right spirit, and not commit the mistake of doing the opposite by listening to suggestions of G-23."

PM Modi: "A new entity has come up in the country- 'Andolan Jivi'. They can be spotted wherever there is a protest, be it agitation by lawyers, students, or labourers, explicitly or implicitly. They cannot live without 'andolan', we have to identify them and protect the nation from them."

PM Modi: "This country is proud of every Sikh. What have they not done for this country? Whatever respect we give them will always be less. I've been fortunate to spend crucial years of my life in Punjab. The language used by some for them and attempt to mislead them will never benefit the nation."

PM Modi: "The nation is making progress and we are talking about FDI but I see that a new FDI has come to the fore. We have to protect the nation from this new FDI. We need Foreign Direct Investment but the new FDI is 'Foreign Destructive Ideology', we have to protect ourselves from it."

PM Modi: "We must not forget what happened with Punjab. It suffered the most during the partition. It cried the most during the 1984 riots. They became victims of the most painful incidents. Innocents were killed in J&K. Business of weapons was carried out in the northeast. All this affected the nation."

PM Modi: PM reiterates in Rajya Sabha 'MSP tha, MSP hai aur MSP rahega.' He is replying in the House to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address.

#MSP regime will continue to be in place, says PM @narendramodi #FarmersProtest #FarmersProtests pic.twitter.com/LzB9rPNLYV

— CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18Live) February 8, 2021

PM Modi: "Sharad Pawar ji, and those from Congress, everyone... all governments have stood for agricultural reforms. Whether they were able to do it or not, but everyone has advocated that it should be done."

PM Modi: "...It is our intention to remove all those handicaps which come in the way of India realising its vast potential at one large common market," the Prime Minister said in Rajya Sabha.

PM Modi: "Manmohan ji is here, I'd read out his quote. Those taking a U-Turn (farm laws) will perhaps agree with him. There are other rigidities because of marketing regime set up in the 1930s which prevent our farmers from selling their produce where they get the highest rate of return..."

PM Modi: We've forgotten the ideals of Netaji. We've started cursing ourselves. I sometimes get surprised, the world gives us a term & we start following it - 'Largest democracy of the world' - it feels good to hear this but we didn't teach our youth that India is the mother of democracy.

PM Modi: India's nationalism is neither narrow nor selfish and not even aggressive. This is inspired by the values of 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram'. This quotation was given by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

PM Modi: Our democracy is not a western institution. It's a human institution. India's history is filled with examples of democratic institutions. We find mention of 81 democracies in ancient India. Today it's essential to warn citizens about the attacks on India's nationalism.

PM Modi: Bajwa sahab from Congress was also speaking. He was speaking in such detail that I thought he will reach Emergency (period) shortly and speak on it, he is just one step away from it. But he didn't go there. Congress disappoints this country a lot, you did that too.

PM Modi: I was listening to Derek ji, he had chosen good words—Freedom of Speech, Intimidation. When I was listening to him, I was wondering if he is talking about Bengal or the country. He sees all this for 24 hours, so he might have said the same here too.

PM Modi: The COVID-19 period has added new strength to our federal structure and the spirit of cooperative federalism.

PM in Rajya Sabha: India has seen days when there was a large threat of polio, smallpox. Nobody knew whether India will get a vaccine or how many people will get it. From those days, we're now here, when our nation is making vaccines for the world. This increases our self-confidence.

TMC MPs staged a walkout, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his reply in Rajya Sabha to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address.

PM Modi: You might've seen on social media an old woman sitting outside her hut on the footpath, with a lit earthen lamp, praying for the welfare of India. We're mocking her! If somebody who never went to school thinks they can serve India by lighting lamps, they can do it. It's being mocked!

PM Modi: We have a responsibility towards farmers who have small landholdings.

We have responsibility towards farmers who have small land holdings, says PM @narendramodi #FarmerProtest #FarmersProtests pic.twitter.com/g6CUxutiMW

— CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18Live) February 8, 2021

PM Modi: The eyes of the world are on India. There are expectations from India and there is the confidence that India will contribute to the betterment of our planet.

PM Modi: India is truly a land of opportunities. Several opportunities are awaiting us, so a nation which is young, full of enthusiasm and a nation that is making efforts to realise the dreams, with a resolve, will never let these opportunities simply pass by.

PM Modi: In Rajya Sabha, over 50 MPs expressed their views for over 13 hours, they expressed their invaluable views. So, I express my gratitude to all the MPs.

PM Modi replies in Rajya Sabha to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address.

Replying to a supplementary question on the situation of air quality in Delhi, Union Minister of Environment Prakash Javadekar said that the main reason behind deteriorating air quality in the national capital in the month of September to November is the stubble burning in Haryana and Punjab. He said that stubble burning in Punjab has increased by 75 percent this year while it has increased by 25 percent in Haryana.

Trinamool Congress leader Subrata Bakshi on Monday took oath as a member of Rajya Sabha. Bakshi, who was elected to the Upper House from West Bengal last year, took oath in Bengali. After the oath, he greeted Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and signed the members' register. Welcoming him, Naidu noted that Bakshi was earlier a Lok Sabha MP. (Source: PTI)

Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri will lay on the table, a statement explaining the circumstances which had necessitated immediate legislation by the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 and will move for leave to introduce a Bill further to amend the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Act, 2011. (Source: IANS)

Left MPs including E. Kareem have given the notice to move a resolution "That this House disapproves the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021 (No.1 of 2021) promulgated by the President of India on January 7, 2021." (Source: IANS)

Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy will move the Bill for consideration and passing to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. The reports of the Standing Committee on IT will also be tabled in the house. (Source: IANS)

Here is the Parliament Schedule for Monday, February 8, according to news agency PTI:

LOK SABHA

-Motion of thanks on the president's address

Bills for consideration and passing

-The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2021

RAJYA SABHA

-Motion of thanks on the president's address

Bills to be introduced

-The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special

Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill, 2021

—With inputs from agencies

First Published:Feb 8, 2021 11:02 AM IST