The BJP accused the UPA Government of orchestrating adjournments in the Rajya Sabha to avoid a defeat on FDI vote.
“If the government and allies continue to disrupt the House, the Leader of the House should come. I want to ask whether they will allow the House to run or not,” an angry Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley said in the Rajya Sabha, after the SP trooped into the well of the House, followed by more slogan-shouting from Congress benches.
For the eighth day of the Winter Session, the Upper House was stalled by the BSP during the Question Hour and the SP during Zero Hour, leading to adjournment for the entire day.
On Wednesday morning, BSP supremo Mayawati sought an immediate announcement of the construction of B R Ambedkar memorial in Mumbai.
Though Rajya Sabha Chairman Mohammed Hamid Ansari repeatedly pointed out that the matter was listed in the agenda and Textiles Minister Anand Sharma was scheduled to make a statement later in the day, Mayawati insisted an immediate announcement instead of the Question Hour. Amidst the din, the Chair adjourned the House till noon. Similar scenes continued when the House reassembled for the Zero Hour, with BSP members raising slogans.
Minister of State of Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla announced immediate commencement of acquiring the land of the National Textile Corporation for the Maharashtra Government to build a memorial at the place where Ambedkar’s ashes were interred.
“The government has initiated the process to give effect to this decision and the Textiles Minister will shortly be moving the necessary legislative proposal for parliamentary approval,” he said.
Unsatisfied, Mayawati wanted Sharma to detail specifics of the memorial -- as to its size, fund allocation and construction period. When Shukla said that Sharma, also the Commerce Minister, was in the Lok Sabha due to the FDI debate and he would address the matter on Thursday, the BSP members calmed down. In no time, SP members, led by Naresh Agarwal, began shouting “no reservation in promotion” slogans, followed by counter-slogans from the Congress benches, led by J D Seelam and Praveen Rashtrapal.
Though Deputy Chair P J Kurien tried to initiate a discussion on the suspension of Indian Olympic Association by the International Olympic Committee, the pandemonium continued.
Jaitley angrily asked if the government had any intention to let the House function. Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office V Narayanasamy got up to say that the government was “ready” for the debate. With no let-up in the din, Kurien had to adjourn the House for the day.
BJP files complaint
The BJP gave a complaint to the RS Chairman, seeking an explanation from Leader of the House Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
“The government is deliberately trying to create an atmosphere that the House cannot function. Even when the Lok Sabha is functioning normally, the Rajya Sabha is being stalled. The whole nation is watching, not a single Opposition member has trooped into the well of the House, it is government members and supporting parties that are stalling the House,” Jaitley said.
Jaitley said that there was “suspicion that the government is unsure which way the Rajya Sabha will vote, so it is not letting the House function”.