In a peculiar move, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday jumped to the Well, and aisle of the Rajya Sabha protesting against the Opposition, who too were on their feet, trading charges over a no-trust motion brought against Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar.
While a legislative business was scheduled to be tabled by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman when the upper house resumed post lunch, BJP MPs immediately raised slogans on the allegations of the Congress leadership’s “links” with billionaire investor George Soros.
Though Lok Sabha after morning two adjournments resumed post lunch and continued till late evening smoothly discussing a Bill on Disaster Management Amendment Bill, Rajya Sabha witnessed yet another 12th day of ruckus, and this time members of the Treasury Benches were more aggressive than the Opposition who until last week were on their feet.
As Dhankar rejected notices by the Opposition when the House started in the morning amidst sloganeering by the Congress, Leader of House Union minister JP Nadda rose to speak and strongly condemned Congress president, and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge for criticising the Chairman’ at a Press conference outside the House on Wednesday.
Citing a rule, Nadda said questioning or criticising a ruling of the Chairman’ amounts to contempt of both the House and the Chair. “At a press conference on Wednesday, Khargeji criticised the Chairman. This is objectionable and condemnable. It sets a wrong precedent. This needs to be condemned by one and all,” Nadda said.
Refuting Kharge’s allegation made at the press conference that he was not given an opportunity to speak in the House, he said letters were written by the Chairman to the Leader of Opposition (LoP) time and again, asking him to participate and come to the Chairman’’s chamber. But Kharge did not go to the Chairman’’s chamber and also did not attend the last meeting of the Business Advisory Committee, he said.
“The Congress has even tried to demean the constitutional post by criticising ‘the Chair as a cheerleader’ on its official social media handle”, Nadda pointed out. Nadda then gave ammunition to the Congress as soon as he touched upon the relationship between George Soros and (Congress leader) Sonia Gandhi who were present in the House triggering a protest by the Opposition leaders.
The Chairman gave the floor to Kharge to respond to Nadda’s remarks but the Congress leader could not speak much as the members of the treasury benches were on their feet, sloganeering. “They want to divert attention from the main issue,” Kharge said amid intense sloganeering from the treasury benches.
Kharge urged the Chair to bring the House in order, but Dhankhar adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm. As the House reassembled at 2 pm, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) sought permission to raise a point of order on the Bangladesh issue to which the Chair said it was not a point of order prompting the party members to raise slogans. Dhankhar then asked former prime minister HD Deve Gowda to speak, however his speech was lost in the din.
Kharge then tried to raise a point of order. “The House is not in order. They are making reckless allegations. You are listening and encouraging...,” Kharge told the Chair. Amid the din, the Chairman’ adjourned the House for the day.
The Lok Sabha also sat for the entire duration of Question Hour on Thursday, but trouble broke out in the Zero Hour when the chair called Congress member Jothimani to speak leading to first adjournment. When the House resumed, noisy exchanges broke out between the Opposition and BJP members. As the Congress member made a reference to the alleged links between Adani and the BJP, presiding officer Jagdambika Pal said the businessman’s name will not go on records, triggering protests from the opposition. Congress members sought to know whether the rule was selectively applicable for references made by opposition party members.
