Parliament Watch

Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha take up Private Member Bills for the first time in the ongoing Budget session

Proceedings of the Rajya Sabha under way during the Budget Session of Parliament on Friday. | Photo Credit: ANI Photo/SansadTV

Both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha on Friday began with observing silence for the soldiers who died in the Kargil war 25 years ago.

Rajya Sabha

Rajya Sabha witnessed loud protests on Friday after BJP MP Iranna Kadadi was allowed to raise the matter of alleged corruption in Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation (KMVSTDC) as part of his Zero Hour mention, after Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar declined notices under Rule 267 for the same.

Rule 267 allows for suspension of the business of the House. BJP MPs demanded a discussion on the alleged corruption under it, but were disallowed. “There may be issues of great importance, many have been raised under 267 earlier (by the Opposition), I declined all of them. No issue which is otherwise of great urgency and contemporary relevance call for invocation of Rule 267,” Mr. Dhankhar said.

Congress members strongly objected to the move and pointed out that Mr. Kadadi’s name did not appear on the list of speakers for the Zero Hour.

Proceedings were also disrupted and suspended for an hour following an uproar by Treasury Benches during the discussion of a Private Member Bill on reservations, introduced by Samajwadi Party MP Javed Ali Khan. The Bill seeks to amend Article 16 which provides for equality of opportunity in all government employment, to include provision of reservation based on caste census.

Earlier in the day, the House proceedings were disrupted when Kerala CPI(M) MP John Brittas moved to introduce a Private Member Bill seeking to make Governors accountable to the Council of Ministers of States.

The Treasury Benches clashed with the Opposition as the proposed legislation was introduced. While the Opposition said that Governors in non-BJP-ruled States were acting against the elected governments, the BJP maintained that the Bill was anti-constitutional. Deputy Chairman Harivansh put the introduction of the Bill for a voice vote. Amid confusion, a motion for division of votes was adopted. The Bill was rejected by 56 votes against 21.

Lok Sabha

Union Minister and JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh aka Lallan Singh defended the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the Lok Sabha on Friday, saying that it was held together by a “Fevicol-like bond” as he rejected the Opposition’s charge that the budget was aimed at appeasing the two key regional allies of the BJP.

Congress leader Deepender Hooda objected to Mr. Singh’s comments that his party colleague Selja Kumari discussed Haryana when the debate was on the Budget. “Haryana is part of India and speaking about it like this... it is both seditious and defamatory,” Hooda argued, but presiding officer Jagdambika Pal dismissed his point of order.

Talking about the incomplete projects in the State, MDMK MP Durai Vaiko called the Budget ‘disheartening’ as it failed to mention the metro projects in Madurai and Coimbatore.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor introduced a Private Member Bill to reserve 10 seats in the Lok Sabha for those below 35 years of age. “India has more than 50% of its population below the age of 25 and more than 65% below the age of 35. The country’s median age is 28. India as a country is young,” the Bill noted.

Another bill introduced by Mr. Tharoor called for 1% reservation for transgender persons across categories in government establishments, including educational institutions.

Chandra Shekhar Azad introduced a Private Member Bill seeking reservations for the SCs, STs, and the OBCs in private sector, educational institutions, and other establishments that employ at least 20 people and have no government financial interest. At present, there is no mandate for private sector reservations.

(Compiled by Yohaan Ashish Varghese, Yash Mishra, Sumeda, and Priyali Prakash)