Note ban debate: Unrelenting Opposition wants PM in the House

Opposition parties disrupted the proceedings of the Parliament for the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday over the demonetisation issue.

Rajya Sabha

Opposition parties joined hands to stall pre-noon proceedings in Rajya Sabha demanding Rs 10 lakh compensation to the kin of each of the 70 persons who lost their lives post demonetisation and the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the debate on the issue.

The rare unity in opposition parties brought Congress and TMC as well as SP and BSP together as their slogan-shouting members trooped into the Well of the House, even as treasury benches countered them demanding resumption of the debate on the issue.

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien first adjourned the House till 1130 hours and then till noon.

No sooner were the listed papers laid on the table, Sharad Yadav (JD-U) said the government should pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to kin of the 70 persons who lost
their lives due to hardships caused by withdrawal of 500 and 1000 rupee notes.

Naresh Agarwal (SP) and Mayawati (BSP) said Modi should be called before starting discussion on the demonetisation.

"He should come and listen to the pain people have faced because of his decision," Mayawati said.

Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad (Cong) said the opposition is ready for discussion on the issue but prime minister should come to the House first.

As he spoke, members of the BJP moved into the aisles raising slogans.

At this point, TMC members carrying placards of "Financial Emergency" trooped into the Well, with Congress members following suit.

As they shouted slogans from the Well, Kurien said, "You cannot speak in the Well. Shouting in the Well is of no use. If you go back to your seats, I will give you time (to speak)."

He told Azad that he was ready to accept his notice under rule 267 seeking suspension of business. "Mr Azad, I am ready to admit your notice under 267 if only there is order in the House."

As BJP members also created a ruckus, an angry Kurien snapped at them. "Why should treasury benches do this? Mr Minister, why should treasury benches to this," he asked Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

With pandemoneum continuing, he said this was "blatant indiscipline."

"Both sides do not want discussion. Not only the opposition, but treasury benches are also disrupting the proceedings. That is very unfortunate," he said before adjourning the proceedings till 1130 hrs.

When the House assembled at 1130 hours, Agarwal (SP) alleged that the Prime Minister does not listen and such a "dictatorial attitude" has never been successful. His remarks led to noisy protests by BJP members.

As several BJP members started speaking at same time, the Deputy Chairman again said "I fail to understand why treasury benches were disrupting" the proceedings.

To this, Naqvi said government only wants that debate on the demonetisation, which started on November 16, should be resumed.

Amid uproar, the Leader of Opposition said 70 people have died due to the "wrong decision" of the Prime Minister.

"Opposition is for discussion and debate. (Our) demand for (presence) of the Prime Minister in the House is not anti-national," the senior Congress leader said.

Naqvi again sought starting the debate and said replies would be given to all the questions of the Opposition members.

Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) demanded that the prime minister who announced the demonetisation decision should be present in the House.

Kurien said he understood the demand that the prime minister should intervene or reply to the debate, but "your demand that he should be here is not possible".

Azad again said the entire opposition wanted the discussion on demonetisation to resume, but the Prime Minister should come to the House and listen to the concern of the MPs.

"He (Prime Minister) can speak outside, why cannot he speak in the House," Azad asked.

In an effort to bring order in the House, Kurien said during the discussion each member can demand for presence of the Prime Minister in the House.

Mayawati (BSP) demanded compensation for those who reportedly died following demonetisation.

As uproar continued, Kurien said that he can call the finance minister in the House as the matter relates to the finance ministry, but not the prime minister.

As the Congress, TMC and BSP members trooped into the Well, the Chair was forced to adjourn the House till noon.

When the House resumed proceedings at noon, Chairman Hamid Ansari called for Question Hour but the protesting Opposition members kept demanding the presence of the prime minister in the House, as TMC members trooped into the Well. With continued ruckus, the House was adjourned for the third time for 30 minutes.

When the House met again for Question Hour at 1230 hours, members from opposition including Congress, SP, BSP, JD-U, CPI and CPI-M rose from their seats shouting slogans over the death toll in the demonetisation drive announced by the government.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari asked Prem Chand Gupta (RJD) to ask his question on lack of medical services in rural areas, but it could not be heard due to the sloganeering by members.

Senior JD(U) leader Sharad raised the issue of death of over 70 people so far in the demonetisation drive and asked who was responsible and what the government was doing about it.

Amid constant din in the House, Ansari adjourned the House till 2 pm and then for the day.

Lok Sabha

Opposition ranks in the Lok Sabha were boosted on Tuesday with All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam members joining them in their noisy protest on demonetisation, as the government vehemently resisted their demands, including a debate under a rule which entails voting, forcing the House to adjourn for the day.

Amid noisy Opposition protests in the Well which continued right from the start, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar insisted that the government was willing to debate every aspect of the issue and went on to cite BJP's win in the bye-polls in Madhya Pradesh and Assam to claim that people have endorsed the government's decision against black money and corruption.

Opposition parties like TMC and CPI(M) too have won in the bypolls in West Bengal and Tripura, ruled by them.

Mallikarjun Kharge (Cong) and Sudip Bandhopadhyay (TMC) said they wanted a debate but demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's presence and that the Speaker admit their adjournment motion, which will result in division of votes and passage of a resolution, on demonetisation.

They received a shot in the arm when P Venugopal (AIADMK) spoke about "suffering of people" due to shortage of currency notes and said his party had also given an adjournment notice.

Opposition parties cheered as he spoke. The AIADMK is perceived to be more sympathetic to the treasury benches on many issues.

"Government is willing to start a debate. I don't think that the opposition parties are in support of black money, fake currency and terrorism when the whole country is supporting the Modi government over its decision," Kumar said.

Kharge said they too were ready for a debate but wanted Modi's presence and that their adjournment notice be admitted.

Equating Speaker Sumitra Mahajan with a mother, he said she should hear them to which she retorted that a mother would want all her children to live together happily.

Like previous days, Opposition members trooped into the Well and began protesting as soon as the House met at 1100 hours.

The Speaker carried out most of the Question Hour amidst noisy scenes before adjourning the House briefly till noon.

After laying of the listed papers, she adjourned the House till Wednesday as opposition parties remain unrelenting.

Members of Congress, TMC, Left parties, SP and AAP were demanding discussion on the demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 under Rule 56, that entails voting. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was seen in his seat having a discussion with AAP MP from Punjab Harinder Singh Khalsa.

As members of Congress, TMC, Left parties and AAP were raising slogans in the Well, NCP and RJD members stood in the aisles in solidarity with the other protesting opposition members.

AIADMK members were also in the aisles raising the issue of Tamil fishermen injured allegedly in firing by Sri Lankan Navy.

Ignoring the slogan shouting opposition members, Speaker allowed the Question Hour to continue amidst noisy scenes.

When some opposition members tried to bring a placard denouncing the demonetisation move in front of Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, who was replying a question related to his Ministry, the Speaker tried to intervene and asked the MPs not to disturb the minister.

"This is not good. Everyone will be shown on TV, but don't disturb the Minister. If you want to discuss something, raise it before the government. People are in pain, tell the government. But this is not the way to highlight people's grievances," Mahajan said asking them to return to their seats.

However, an unrelenting opposition continued to raise slogans.

The Speaker again appealed to the opposition members to participate in the debate saying that the disruption of proceedings would not solve the problem.

"I am really pained. If you are people's representatives, you should stand by them," she said.

Due to continued pandemonium, the Speaker first adjourned the House till noon, and after laying of papers for the day.

Photograph: PTI Photo