Rajya Sabha was adjourned on Monday without taking up business as Opposition members protested the suspension of eight members for the remainder of the monsoon session. The members were suspended after the Parliamentary Affairs Minister raised a motion for the same, citing their unruly behaviour against the Deputy Chairman during the voting on farm Bills on Sunday.
The Upper House saw multiple brief adjournments before it was adjourned for the day as the suspended MPs refused to leave the House as directed by the Chair.
Twelve Opposition parties had given notice for a no-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh for overruling their pleas for an adjournment of the proceedings. The motion was rejected by Chairman Venkaiah Naidu.
The Parliament, which was initially scheduled to end on October 1, will wind up on September 23 taking into account the increasing number of COVID-19 cases.
Here are the latest updates:
Opposition MPs have announced that they will take up an all-night long dharna at Parliament House.
Rajya Sabha reconvenes again.
Vice Chairman Bhubaneswar Kalita reads out Rule 256 regarding suspension of members. He repeats that he wants to invite the Leader of Opposition to speak, but before that he wants the MPs who were named by the Chairman to follow the rule and leave the House.
Opposition protest this, as before, and shout slogans.
Mr. Kalita tells the suspended members to leave again. "The Leader of Opposition will raise your views," he says.
Rajya Sabha adjourned till 9 a.m. on September 22.
Rajya Sabha resumes for the third time.
Vice Chairman Bhubaneswar Kalita says Leader of Opposition will be allowed to speak, but before that, the members named by the Chairman should be out of the House.
Opposition continues sloganeering. A group of MPs, including a few of those suspended, stand inside the well and shout slogans.
The Vice Chairman repeats that the Chairman's order has to be obeyed and the suspended members should leave the House. He asks the MPs to maintain COVID-19 protocol as well.
As protests continue, House is adjourned again till 12 p.m. The MPs who have been named continue to sit in the House as they fear that they won't be allowed back in.
Rajya Sabha reconvenes.
Deputy Chairman Harivansh says he will ask Leader of Opposition to speak first before any Bills are discussed, but those who have been named by the Chairman can't participate. Opposition members object to this.
Rajya Sabha adjourned again for 30 minutes.
Upper House reconvenes after adjournment.
Opposition members continue to shout slogans. It is understood from the Deputy Chairman's comments that the suspended members have not left the House.
Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank starts to move the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
However, as the shouting continues, Deputy Chairman Harivansh asks the members who have been named by the Chairman to not participate in the proceedings.
Deputy Chairman says he is willing to hear out the Leader of Opposition, but asks those who have been named by the Chairman to leave the House.
As commotion continues, he announces that the House is adjourned for 30 minutes.
8 Opposition members suspended from Rajya Sabha
Chairman Venkaiah Naidu says that on Sunday, the Deputy Chairman persistently asked the members to go back to their seats. Because of continuous disruption of the House, the division could not take place, says Mr. Naidu.
He rejects the no-confidence motion moved against the Deputy Chairman by saying that the motion was not in proper format.
"The notice period of 14 days is required. I rule that the motion by LoP and other members is not admissible," says Mr. Naidu.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister of State V. Muraleedharan moves motion for suspension of Derek O'Brien (TMC), Sanjay Singh (AAP), Rajeev Satav (Congress), K.K. Ragesh (CPIM), Syed Naseer Hussain (Congress), Ripun Bora (Congress), Dola Sen (AITC) and Elamaram Kareem (CPIM).
They have been suspended for the remainder of the session. Chairman asks the named members to leave the House. Opposition shouts slogans.
House adjourned till 10 a.m.
Chairman addresses Sunday's events
Chairman Venkaiah Naidu says he was pained about what happened on September 21. It was a bad day for Rajya Sabha, he says.
"Some members came to the well of the House, they threw papers, they broke microphones, they abused the Deputy Chairman, according to him," he says.
It tarnished the image of Parliament, says Mr. Naidu, and suggests that the MPs introspect.
If marshals were not called on time, I'm worried what would have happened to the Deputy Chairman, he says.
He names TMC MP Derek O'Brien, and asks him to leave the House while the Opposition disrupts.
"The Deputy Chairman was physically threatened. The government will move a motion. I have received a letter from Opposition leaders on no-confidence against Deputy Chairman saying he violated rules," says Mr. Naidu.
Zero Hour continues.
DMK MP P. Wilson says that the SSC examinations are scheduled to start from October 4 even as the COVID-19 pandemic rages. He asks the competitive exams to be postponed until the pandemic is under control.
Congress MP K.C. Venugopal says the government has announced economic packages, but banks are not lending, particularly to MSME sector.
In special mentions, BJP MP Roopa Ganguly raises matter of "whimsical" rules by States on air travel.
BJD MP Amar Patnaik demands government confer classical status to Odisha music.
Zero Hour continues.
Congress MP P.L. Punia raises the matter of deployment of CRPF personnel in Chhattisgarh.
Trinamool Congress MP Dola Sen raises issue of BSNL workers not being paid salaries. Only 2,000 permanent BSNL employees are left in Bengal, she says, and goes on to criticise the ruling party for its treatment of BSNL. She is cut off by Chairman Venkaiah Naidu who points out that Zero Hour is not the time for political debates.
Mir Mohammad Fayaz of PDP speaking in Kashmiri. He speaks about pharmacies, but Chairman says Mr. Fayaz has given notice to speak on the national institute of sports, and should hence stick to that topic.
BJD MP Prasanna Acharya says Central government has taken a good decision to name ports after prominent people. He asks the government to name Paradip port in Odisha after Biju Patnaik.
Rajya Sabha proceedings begin as scheduled. Papers being laid for consideration.
Zero Hour starts.
Tamil Mahila Congress MP G.K. Vasan raises the issue of manual scavenging.
"We have been very progressive in our outlook but have somehow failed to stop this practice," says Mr. Vasan. He asks the government to implement the existing laws or bring in a new law to stop manual scavenging.
CPI MP Binoy Viswam asks government to provide good quality free masks to the deprived sections of society. Mr. Viswam had brought up this point in earlier sessions as well.
BJP Om Prakash Mathur raises the matter of incomplete dam projects in Rajasthan.
Shiv Sena MP Anil Desai raises the issue of poisonous substances in some pesticides used in Maharashtra, asks Centre to look at banning them all.
Bills for Consideration and Passing
- Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020
- Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2020
- Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020
- Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020
- Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Bill, 2020
Bills for consideration and passing
- Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2020
- Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020
- Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill, 2020
- Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020
- Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020
- Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020