NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha deferred the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019 seeking to remove Congress president as a trustee as the Centre failed to build a consensus on passing the Bill without discussion in the Upper House.
After obituary reference to former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu called for taking up the Bill. Many opposition parties said that they want a discussion on the Bill while government insisted that it be passed without discussion for this being the Centenary Year.
“We have to reconstitute the Trust and many trustees have to be nominated. The tenure of the Trust has already been expired,” said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi.
The Chair took the sense of the House for taking up the Bill but many members said that they don’t want to get into acrimony on the issue keeping in mind the demise of Swaraj and the Bill can be taken up in the next session.
“I think, when we are not going to have any other business, we can defer this to the next session. Heaven is not going to fall in the next two-three months. My submission would be to Prime Minister also that at least we should not fight today on such an issue. It will not give good impression outside the House,” said Ghulam Nabi Azad, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.