Parties insist on discussion
NEW DELHI, Aug 8: Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Friday amid vociferous protests by Opposition parties demanding a discussion on the ongoing revision of electoral rolls in Bihar.
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Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said it is unfortunate that Opposition parties are wasting time when private member bills were to be taken up. He said Opposition parties must not say that the Government did not cooperate as the Government has said from the beginning that it is willing to discuss all issues under rules.
Opposition members raised slogans like “SIR wapas lo (roll back SIR)”, “SIR pe charcha karo (take up discussion on SIR)” in the House, referring to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
Earlier in the day, some members were even seen banging the table of the Lok Sabha Speaker, which was strongly objected to by presiding officer Tenneti.
“Yeh dhol nahi hai (this is not a drum). You cannot bang the table like this. I take strong objection to banging of the Lok Sabha Speaker’s table,” Tenneti, a TDP member, said.
With the members unrelenting in their protests, Tenneti, adjourned the proceedings till 3 pm.
When the House convened at 11 am, Speaker Om Birla paid homage to former Lok Sabha member and former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik, who passed away on August 5. He also read out a reference on the anniversary of the Quit India Movement.
Soon after the Speaker read out the references, opposition members shouted slogans, displayed placards and some of them trooped into the Well as they protested against the SIR.
Despite the din, five questions and supplementaries were taken up during the 23 minutes of Question Hour.
With no let-up in the protests, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings till 12 noon.
The opposition has been demanding a discussion on the SIR exercise initiated by the Election Commission in Bihar ahead of the assembly elections due later this year.
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha proceedings were washed out once again on Friday as the House was adjourned for the day a little after 12 noon amid vociferous protests by Opposition members on various issues, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and charges of “vote theft” made by the Congress.
The House was first adjourned till 12 noon, after Deputy Chairman rejected all notices under Rule 267 for setting aside all other business, and then again for the day amid continued Opposition uproar.
Soon after the House reassembled at 12 noon, after a first adjournment, Ghanshyam Tiwari, who was in the Chair, urged the members to allow the Question Hour to function but unrelenting Opposition MPs continued with their protests.
Congress member Pramod Tiwari sought to raise the issue of alleged “vote theft” over discrepancy claims in electoral rolls in an assembly constituency in Karnataka, but the Chair did not allow him to speak.
Soon, Congress members, along with those from the Opposition, raised slogans and demanded discussion on the discrepancy in Karnataka voter rolls issue, and the SIR issue in Bihar.
Amid the din, the Chair asked the Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu to answer the question. Bittu, however, attacked the Opposition, accusing them of indulging in such acts of “theft” instead.
Bittu also raised the charge of “chor machaye shor” against the Opposition.
As Opposition sloganeering and protests continued, the chair adjourned the House for the day.
The Upper House will now meet at 11 am on Monday.
Earlier, after the laying of papers in the morning, the Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 12 noon as Opposition MPs created a ruckus over various issues, including SIR.
Soon after the House met for the day and after the laying of papers, Deputy Chairman Harivansh rejected notices given by members under Rule 267, amid continuing demand by Opposition MPs to discuss the SIR issue.
Harivansh said he has received 20 notices under Rule 267.
“It’s interesting to note that members are often giving suspension notices to discuss a wide variety of subjects…” he said.
“Today’s notices contain five different issues on which suspension of business has been sought by members… It appears that notices under Rule 267 are being used as a tool to create disorder in the House,” he said, resulting in an uproar from the Opposition benches.
The Deputy Chairman said on July 21, six different issues were highlighted, while four different issues were submitted on each day from July 22-24.
“Similarly, 7, 12 and 11 different subjects were mentioned in notices received on 5th, 6th and 7th August, respectively. Today, 267 notices contain five different issues on which suspension of listed business are sought by members,” he said.
“Today’s notices contain five different issues on which suspension of business has been sought by members… Some members are submitting notices daily on varying issues. It appears that notices under Rule 267 are being used as a tool to create disorder in the House,” he said, resulting in an uproar from Opposition benches. (PTI)
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