NEW DELHI, July 31:
Rajya Sabha failed to transact any business today as stalemate continued with the opposition persisting with its demand for resignation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj over Lalit Modi issue and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan over Vyapam Scam.
Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad moved a motion that proceedings of the House be adjourned and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should come to the House and tell what action he has taken to ensure Chouhan’s resignation in the Vyapam scam.
Rejecting Azad’s demand, the Government ruled out any resignations and said the opposition members were disrupting the proceedings every day on the same issue even though the ruling side is ready for a discussion.
The deadlock led to repeated adjournments before the final one at around 2.35 PM.
The House could not function during Zero Hour at 11 am, during Question Hour at 12 pm and when it met at 2.30 pm for Private Members’ Business, Azad suggested that if all sides agree, the Private Members’ Resolutions could be taken up in the next session.
D Raja of CPI, who had moved one of the resolutions, supported Azad. Leader of House Arun Jaitley too gave his consent and the list of business regarding Private Members’ Resolutions was postponed to the next session.
Minister for Culture Mahesh Sharma then moved for leave to withdraw the National Commission for Heritage Sites Bill 2009. The motion was adopted.
Soon after, opposition re-started protests leading to ruckus.
Deputy Chairman P J Kurien, who was in the Chair, kept telling both sides that attempt should be made for consensus and the treasury benches and the opposition should find some solution for the stalement.
Azad said a solution could be found but Government should respond on the content of resolutions of the opposition.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi replied saying that the opposition did not seem ready for a discussion on the issues. He added that the Government was not affected by slogans of opposition but was in fact trying to make it a partner in the country’s progress.
Responding to Naqvi, Azad said the Government should take action, after which there will be discussion. He also emphasised that there should not be a just “dry discussion.”
The Deputy Chairman observed that the interaction between both sides today was good and he hoped that a solution would emerge so that the House can conduct proceedings in the next meeting.
In the meanwhile, Kurien momentarily lost his cool after an opposition member left his seat and was interrupting him.
However, as neither side appeared willing to budge from their positions, he adjourned the House till Monday.
Earlier in the day also, the House witnessed uproarious scenes with opposition and treasury benches trading charges against each other, leading to two adjournments during the Zero Hour and the Question Hour. Soon after the House assembled for the day and obituary references were made, Congress members stood in the aisle and raised slogans seeking action against Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje for allegedly helping controversial former IPL head Lalit Modi and Chouhan over the Vyapam scam. Similar scenes were witnessed when the House met again for the Question Hour as there was no let up in the Congress demand for the resignations which was rejected by Government. (PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel