RS chairman calls Opposition's demand for PM's statement 'ill-premised'

The Opposition on Tuesday (August 1) walked out of Rajya Sabha during Question Hour protesting against the Manipur debate not being allowed in the House.

Proceedings in the Upper House had resumed in the Rajya Sabha at noon amid sloganeering. The Opposition started shouting slogans about Manipur violence soon after the House had convened after the adjournment.

Proceedings in both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha were adjourned on Tuesday after Opposition parties created a din demanding a discussion on the ethnic violence in Manipur.

Also read: Manipur crisis: Longer debate demand divides opinion in Oppn camp, Centre gets upper hand in RS

Dhankar expresses anguish

Earlier, soon after the listed papers were tabled in the Upper House, chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar expressed anguish over repeated disruptions on the “same issue”.

He said a short-duration discussion on the issue was scheduled the previous day but it could not take place due to unending opposition protests.

“It is with deep concern and anguish that I am constrained to convey to this august House that by our actions we have plunged this institution, the Rajya Sabha, into virtual irrelevance. It does not gel well with logic and rational approach that for past 8 days the House is being disrupted with the same issue inspite of my categorical ruling of July 20,” he said.

Short duration discussion on Manipur issue under Rule 176 had been admitted and initiated yesterday and it remained inconclusive due to continued disruption, said Dhankar.

And added, “We have created a situation whereby we are throwing out the baby with the bath water. The insistence by the Opposition members that the Prime Minister respond is constitutionally ill-premised.”

Opposition MPs protested and shouted slogans of Pradhan Mantri Sadan Mei Aao. Dhankhar continued, “As a matter of fact, in 2014, when the issue was raised by distinguished member Sitaram Yechury that the Honourable Prime Minister be present to respond to an issue, it was determined by the Chair that the demand that the PM must respond is constitutionally ill-firmed and ill-premised.”

And urged the members to seriously reflect and not to surrender the space for dialogue and discussion.

Dhankhar did not approve 60 notices for taking up discussion on Manipur under Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha which allows for suspension of the day’s business to debate on an issue suggested by a member.

Dhankhar said he has received letters from Opposition MPs Manoj Kumar Jha and two others who had submitted the Rule 176 notices for short duration discussion on July 20 demanding that those notices be considered withdrawn. He called these letters as wholly ill-conceived and amid massive uproar by Opposition, RS had adjourned till noon.

Lok Sabha

There were similar disturbances in the Lok Sabha too.

As soon as the House met for the day, Opposition members started shouting slogans and displayed placards. Some were in the well of the House and some stood near Speaker Om Birla’s chair.

The Speaker told the protesting members that they will be given time to raise the issues.

BSP’s Kunwar Danish Ali raised slogans over the violence at Nuh in Haryana.

Three questions and related supplementaries were taken up during Question Hour. As the protests continued, the chair adjourned proceedings till 2 pm.

(With agency inputs)