The Government on Thursday failed to get the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013, passed on Thursday as a determined Opposition blocked all efforts to do so and raised a din. Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien adjourned the House for the day in the afternoon saying he could not have division of votes to pass the Bill till there was order.
This was the second consecutive day when the treasury tried to get this legislation through and the Opposition creating a ruckus with members rushing into the well raising slogans. Congress leader Anand Sharma said the Opposition was in favour of conducing legislative business but also wanted to highlight issues like bank scam. He also charged the government with indulging in corrupt practices in collusion with public sector banks.
His sharp remarks came after Minister for law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad said the bill aimed at fighting the scourge of corruption and expressed surprise over Congress not allowing it to pass. Prasad also said the government was ready for a debate on the issue His colleague Jitendra Singh, who moved the bill for consideration and passage said protests showed duplicity of some members.
Even as members of AIADMK, TDP, TMC, RJD and DMK trooped into the well raising slogans, Kurien said he had to go through the process of division of votes which could not be conducted on Wednesday. Trying to reason with the protesting members, the chair said the members could defeat the bill during voting but the agitating MPs did not oblige him.
After a brief adjournment of 15 minutes and bedlam continuing on resumption,Kurien warned that he might have to suspend the members standing int the well for disorderly conduct. However, the entire Opposition opposed it and the chair finally adjourned the house for day. He also said it was an inadvertent remark or slip of tongue on his part about mentioning on Wednesday that the lok Sabha had already passed the bill and transmitted it to the Upper House.
Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu had to also adjourn the house soon after it met for the day in morning when the Opposition members rushed into the well displaying placards after some new members took oath.
Friday is the last day of the second leg of the budget session and the Rajya Sabha could not transact any substantive business due to pandemonium on all days since the session began on March 5.