The country’s top legal brains, and members of the Rajya Sabha, clashed over the rules and procedures of Parliament on Wednesday when the Government wanted two Bills of the law Ministry to be taken up together for discussion. While leader of House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley accused nominated member KTS Tulsi of “instigating” members to delay the passage of the Delhi High Court (Amendment) Bill, the latter sought an explanation on who he was trying to instigate. The remark was, however, withdrawn by Jaitley after the Opposition protested.

The row began soon after law Minister DV Sadanand Gowda introduced the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts Bill and suggested that this new Bill be taken up together with the Delhi HC (Amendment) Bill. The Bill was deferred last week. Tulsi pointed that “clubbing of the two is unnecessary and it will perpetuate the woes of the litigants unnecessarily.” Contending that the two Bills have nothing to do with each other, the senior lawyer said the Government, by doing so, wants to give from one hand and take away from the other. Jaitley intervened to allege that Tulsi was “instigating” members in the House to delay the Bill. “The whole effort of Tulsi is to delay the Bill...We are not going to fall prey to it. Of course you are trying to delay the Bill,” he said.

Tulsi reacted strongly to it, saying, “The leader of the House has accused me of instigating. When did I instigateIJ Whom did I instigateIJ” Tulsi also refused to accept the law Minister’s argument that a quick disposal of the Delhi High Court Bill is required as people of the Delhi Bar Association are going on strike. Some Congress members including Viplove Thakur joined Tulsi in protesting against Jaitley’s remarks. At this, Jaitley said he does not want this to become an issue and hence “I withdraw what I said”. He, however, insisted that both the bills have to be taken together”, failing which there will be trouble outside.