NEW DELHI: In an embarrassing moment for the government while trying to push the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill in
Rajya Sabha on Thursday, deputy chairman
P J Kurien admitted that he had mistakenly informed members on Wednesday that the bill had been transmitted from Lok Sabha.
A point of order was raised by Trinamool MP
Sukhendu Sekhar Ray soon after Rajya Sabha assembled. He pointed out that the bill was not passed by Lok Sabha, even while its introduction was allowed in Rajya Sabha. Stating that the minister was allowed to move the bill under "wrong premises", Roy told Rajya Sabha Chairman
Venkaiah Naidu, "You should recall that order."
Accepting Roy's argument, Naidu corrected the record to state that the bill had not been passed, and the introduction was done after incorporating the suggestions made by the select committee of Parliament.
However, as soon as Naidu finished his statement, opposition members, some of whom were already in the well of the House, started shouting slogans. While TDP members demanded special category status for Andhra Pradesh, AIADMK members chanted slogans on the Cauvery issue and SP members raised farmers' distress. When the House met at 2 pm, Kurien, who was in the chair, conceded that the bill had not been transmitted from Lok Sabha. "It was either a slip of tongue or an inadvertent remark which has been corrected," he said.
As opposition members continued to protest in the well, Kurien appealed to them to go back to their seats and let him go ahead with division of votes on the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill as demanded by Trinamool members in the wake of the voice vote on Wednesday. As the protesting members remained unmoved, Kurien finally adjourned the House for the day around 2.40 pm.
