Jairam wants MPs stalling Parliament to be expelled

As the second part of the Budget session of Parliament heads for a complete washout, senior Congress MP Jairam Ramesh has written to the Rajya Sabha Chairman requesting him “to expel all the protesters and allow the House to function in the last week.”

In an email to M. Venkaiah Naidu, the former Environment Minister said it is “frustrating and demeaning to see the House adjourned day after day.”

“Please ensure Sir that the Rajya Sabha functions at least during the last week of the current session. If need be, please expel all protesters so that we can discuss some long pending Bills and other important matters,” said Mr. Ramesh.

“You are not as helpless as you make it out to be,” he added.

Daily protests

Sources said Mr. Venkaiah Naidu had taken up the issue of expelling the protesting Rajya Sabha MPs but Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad and Leader of the House Arun Jaitley were opposed to the move.

For almost four weeks now, both the Houses of Parliament have been disrupted over various protests. While the issue of bank frauds, especially by fugitive jeweller Nirav Modi, set off ruckus in Parliament initially, in the past two weeks, the issue of special category status for Andhra Pradesh and the resolution of the Cauvery water dispute have disrupted all business. On March 28, when 60 members of the Rajya Sabha were retiring, Mr. Venkaiah Naidu made an appeal to restore the “quality of polity” and leave “a legacy of ideas.”

“All parties are equal to me. I appeal to you let’s conduct the House in a more dignified manner and take the country forward,” Mr. Naidu had said.

Owing to repeated disruptions, the government pushed through the all important Finance Bill in the Lok Sabha without a debate. Even important amendments with regard to the ministries of railways, agriculture and farmers’ welfare and social justice and empowerment could not be taken up.