The lok Sabha could not carry out much business on Thursday as the Government and the Opposition did not reach an agreement as under which rule- with or without voting- the house should take up the discussion on the demonetisation issue.
The stalemate could not be broken even as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she would like to facilitate a debate by relaxing all rules. After a brief adjournment the house was adjourned for the day by 12.22 pm.
leader of Congress in the lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said the Opposition wants to hold discussion on the issue. “You should give consent for discussion under Rule 56. This is a big issue, scam and scandal. Government employees, poor people are not getting salaries. We want to put forth the problems faced by them. But you want to run away from discussion.
lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan took an objection to the word ‘scandal’ used by Kharge. “This is not a scandal”, she said.
An agitated Opposition, joined by the JD(U), CPI(M) and the Trinamool Congress rushed into the Well, demanding discussion under provisions that entail voting.
lashing out at the Opposition, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said, “We are ready for discussion, but the Congress is not. You (Mahajan) said we can discuss everything, from zero to universe, but Congress only wants to go from zero to zero.
“They should not dare to stop the fight against black money as the whole country is with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
At this stage Speaker again said, “let’s start the discussion,” to which Kharge said this was possible only under provision of voting.
BJD member B Mahtab said Speaker has all the powers to conduct discussions “ zero se Brahmand tak” he said alluding to zero hour in the house.
Attacking the Government, TMC’s Sudeep Bandopadhyay, said the black money holders are happy because the Government has fixed the “50-50 ratio”, while poor are suffering. He was referring to the new amendments in IT Act passed by the lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Opposition members, including those from Congress and TMC, stood in the Well of the House, raising their pitch against the Government over the demonetisation issue.
Members from the left parties, Samajwadi Party and AIUDF also joined them while those from the AIADMK and NCP were seen standing near their seats.
In a counter the treasury benches started shouting “Modi-Modi” in a chorus. With house in not in order, Mahajan adjourned the house for the day.
The house has not been able to conduct smooth business since the day one in the winter session of parliament as the opposition wanted discussion under rule 56 entailing voting and Government wanting it to be under rule 193 without voting.
Earlier in the day, lok Sabha paid tributes to seven Army personnel, who were killed in a terror attack in Nagrota near Jammu, a day after Speaker rejected the demand of opposition for an obituary reference for the same incident on the grounds that final details were yet to emerge.
As soon as the House assembled, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan referred to Tuesday’s incident and said the House strongly condemned the dastardly act of terrorists in which seven soldiers were martyred and several others were injured.