NEW DELHI: Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha Harivansh, while rejecting the suspension notices under Rule 267, on Friday observed that some members are using the provision as a "tool to create disorder in the House."
The Chair made this remark as the Opposition MPs raised their demand for a discussion on Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Bihar soon after laying the papers.
"I have received 20 notices under Rule 267. It is interesting to note that Members are often giving suspension notices to discuss a wide variety of subjects. Some Members are submitting notices daily on varying issues. It appears that notices under Rule 267 are being used as a tool to create disorder in the House," Harivansh stated.
He then read out of notices submitted since the beginning of the ongoing Monsoon Session.
"Today, 267 notices contain five different issues on which suspension of listed businesses is sought by Members," he added
He also quoted former Chairman of Rajya Sabha Venkaiah Naidu's remark dated July 19, 2021, which was in reference to notices under the rule.
"In a similar situation, when the Chair received 17 notices under Rule 267 on different subjects, the then Chairman, on 19th July, 2021, stated that the Secretariat has received as many as 17 notices for suspension of rules under Rule 267. Members from 10 different parties have given me notices on a wide range of issues. Members belonging to the same party have given these notices on different issues. This suggests that there is no single view on the urgency of issues for me to take up the suspension of rules. You cannot discuss seventeen issues simultaneously. Nobody can dictate the Chair. I am sorry to say this," the Chairman said.
Harivansh further noted that some members had asked him to read out the names and subjects of Rule 267 notices. However, he said that there is an established practice from the past not to disclose names as well as the subjects of 267 notices.
"Most of the time, the previous Chairman, Shri Venkaiah Naidu ji would only indicate not admitting suspension notices. During the Chairmanship of Shri Hamid Ansari ji, the disposal of 267 notices was not even announced in the House. The Notices received today are declined," he said.
Meanwhile, Congress member Pramod Tiwari sought to raise the issue of alleged "vote theft" over discrepancy claims in the electoral rolls in an Assembly constituency in Karnataka, but the Chair did not allow him to speak.
Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien said that from next Monday, all notices given by the opposition will be on the SIR issue.
John Brittas of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) said that Rule 267 should be scrapped, while Congress's Pramod Tiwari said the Opposition wants the House to function, and the discussion on the SIR issue should be taken up.
Tiruchi Siva of DMK said the rules should not just be on paper, but also in practice.
The Chair, however, said that 56 hours and 49 minutes of the House's time have so far been lost.
He said so far in the session, they have only taken up 13 starred questions, five Zero Hour submissions, and 17 special mentions. This led to uproar from Opposition benches, and MPs were also raising slogans. As the pandemonium continued, the House was adjourned till 12.
Earlier, when the Rajya Sabha assembled at 11:00 AM, the House paid tributes to freedom fighters, who fought for independence during the Quit India Movement.
When the House reassembled after the first adjournment at noon, the opposition members resumed sloganeering demanding discussion on the revision of the electoral roll in Bihar. Ghanshyam Tiwari, who was on the Chair, attempted to run Question Hour, but the opposition member didn't budge. Amid the noisy scenes, the Chair adjourned the House for the day to meet on August 11.