A determined Opposition did not allow the Rajya Sabha to function smoothly for the third consecutive day on Wednesday forcing repeated adjournments. The agitated members were demanding a discussion on the ongoing farmers’ stir against the recently-enacted three laws.
However, the House approved a Bill to amend the arbitration law that would ensure all stakeholders get a chance to seek an unconditional stay on enforcement of arbitral awards where an agreement is “induced by fraud or corruption”.
The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2021, was passed by voice vote in the Rajya Sabha.
The Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on February 12. It will replace an ordinance issued on November 4, 2020.
Immediately after the passage of the Bill, Deputy Chairman Harivansh adjourned the Rajya Sabha till Monday as opposition parties continued raising slogans demanding discussion on the three Central farm laws.
Earlier in the day, when Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge sought suspension of all other business to discuss the issue soon after the house met for the day, Rajya Sabha
Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu rejected the plea. He said the issue was discussed in great detail in the first half of the ongoing budget session.
He also said this issue could be raised later during the debates on the appropriation bill and other related finance bills and urged the protesting members to let the house run.
However, they did not pay heed to the chairman and some of them rushed into the well raising slogans. Naidu remarked “do you want discussion or disruption” and adjourned the proceedings till 12.00 pm at about 11.15 am.
Similar scenes were witnessed when the house reassembled with some Opposition members raising a din shouting slogans. Deputy Chairman Harivansh asked the members to let the Question Hour proceed but they did not relent.
The chair then adjourned the House till two pm at about 12.10 pm. The House was adjourned for the day till March 15 shortly after the lunch break.
Kharge said four young leaders have given the
notices for a discussion on the three laws passed in the House, against which farmers are protesting throughout the country.
Naidu said he has gone through the notices given by Deepinder Hooda, Rajeev Satav, Pratap Singh Bajwa (all three from the Congress), Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD) and Tiruchi Siva (DMK) about the need to discuss the farmers' issue and to suspend all other business of the House.
“I would like to say that this House, in this session itself, in the first part, has discussed farmers' issues and the farmers' agitation...I have disallowed the notice,” the chairman said.
He asked the members to have a discussion on farmers as part of the discussion on the Ministries of Agriculture, Rural Development and Food Processing, for which around two-three hours are given.