Monsoon session Day 8: Eight MPs suspended for a week; Rajya Sabha adjourned till 10 am
New Delhi, Sep 21: Two key farm bills, dubbed as the biggest reform in agriculture by the government, were on Sunday passed by Rajya Sabha with voice vote amid unprecedented unruly scenes by protesting opposition members who were demanding that the proposed legislation be referred to a House panel for greater scrutiny.
Twelve opposition parties on Sunday gave a notice for a no-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh over the manner in which the bills were passed in the House after he overruled their pleas for an adjournment of the proceedings.
Farm bill row in Parliament: Who said what
The ruckus started yesterday when the government was keen to put the farm bill to vote immediately after Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar's reply, but the opposition, led by Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, wanted the Rajya Sabha to take up the minister's reply and the vote on Monday. When the government refused, all hell broke loose.
Highlights:
Rajya Sabha adjourned till 10 am, following ruckus by Opposition MPs
Derek O Brien, Sanjay Singh, Raju Satav, KK Ragesh, Ripun Bora, Dola Sen, Syed Nazir Hussain and Elamaran Karim suspended for one week for unruly behaviour with the Chair: Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu
Eight members of the House are suspended for a week: Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu
No-confidence motion against the Deputy Chairman is not admissible under the rules: Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu
It was a bad day for Rajya Sabha yesterday when some members came to the well of the House. Deputy Chairman was physically threatened. He was obstructed from doing his duty. This is unfortunate & condemnable. I suggest to MPs, please do some introspection: Rajya Sabha Chairman
Chairman Venkaiah Naidu raps Trinamool Congress MP Derek o'Brian as he rises to speak. Naming him in the suspension order, Naidu asks o'Brian to leave the Upper House and lashes out at the Opposition members over "unruly" behaviour in Rajya Sabha and "physically threatening" the Deputy Chairman, Harivansh.
Rajya Sabha resumes after a stormy session on Sunday which saw confrontation between the BJP and Opposition over farm bills.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP KC Venugopal has given Zero-Hour Notice in Rajya Sabha over 'refusal of banks to give loans'
TDP MP K Ravindra Kumar has given Zero-Hour Notice in Rajya Sabha over the "need for stringent punishment for atrocities against Dalits".
BJD MP Prasanna Acharya has given Zero-Hour Notice in Rajya Sabha and has demanded to rename Paradip Port after former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik.
After a heated debate, Rajya Sabha passed the two bills amid a bedlam as some opposition members, ignoring the COVID-19 protocol, charged towards the podium of Deputy Chairman Harivansh, flung the rule book at him and tore official papers. They yanked his microphone and heckled him over their demand for a division of vote on their motion to refer the legislation to a select committee.
The Congress and other opposition parties slammed the bills as "death warrants" of farmers, and called it a "black day for democracy".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed it as a "watershed moment" in the history of Indian agriculture, asserting that the bills will ensure a complete transformation of the farm sector and add impetus to the efforts to double the income of farmers.
The Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 have already been passed by Lok Sabha and will now go to the President for his assent before they are notified as laws.
Bills for consideration and passing in the Rajya Sabha today:
- - The Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
- The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2020