UPA’s supporting partner Samajwadi Party on Friday single-handedly blocked a debate on the lokpal Bill in Rajya Sabha by causing repeated disruptions.
With the Opposition parties accusing the Congress of playing a “fixed” match in league with the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Manmohan Singh Government will be under severe pressure on Monday to ensure that SP members do not disrupt the proceedings and allow the anti-corruption measures to be taken up.
The lokpal Bill, which has been waiting to see the light of day for over 40 years, was brought back to Rajya Sabha in an amended form. In the absence of any pressing issue, the SP picked up price rise to derail the House after its arch-rival BSP announced support for the lokpal Bill. While TDP members joined the SP to lodge a protest on Telangana, the Congress’ former ally Trinamool Congress shouted slogans with placards demanding arrest of retired Supreme Court judge AK Ganguly by Delhi Police over an alleged molestation case.
The Opposition BJP said it will support the lokpal Bill and questioned the sincerity of the Congress by pointing to the fact that its own partner was trying to sabotage it. CPM member KM Balagopal and TMC MP Derek O’Brien went to the extent of raising slogans of “match-fixing” inside the House. “The BJP wants the lokpal Bill to be passed. We request all members to maintain peace in the House and allow the debate to take place,” Deputy leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ravi Shankar Prasad said. The party had conveyed to the Government and the Chair that leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley will put forth his views even if there is a din in the House.
Asked about the SP’s insistence on a debate on price rise, Prasad said even the BJP wants a debate on issues like rising inflation and AgustaWestland deal, but the lokpal Bill is also an important issue and should be debated. As Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy moved the amended lokpal and lokayukta Bill, 2011 and started speaking on it, SP members trooped into the Well and raised slogans. Senior leaders Naresh Agarwal and Ram Gopal Yadav disrupted proceedings by demanding a discussion on the issue of price rise first.
Soon after the House met at noon and Narayanasamy sought cooperation of the House in passage of the Bill, Ravi Shankar Prasad said a discussion on the issue of price rise could be taken up on Monday. Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien kept pleading that the House has agreed for a discussion on the Bill and the Minister has started speaking, but SP and TDP members continued to create a ruckus. The House saw three adjournments till 3.30 pm before it was adjourned till Monday.
The Government had brought the Bill against the backdrop of Aam Aadmi Party’s performance in Delhi Assembly elections over the plank of the lokpal and the ongoing fast of Anna Hazare over the issue. When the House met at 3.30 pm, Naresh Agarwal rued that the Government did not understand the pulse of the nation and said: “If they want to eradicate corruption, they (Government) should first remove price rise.”
“We gave notices on price rise. When notices are given, the decision needs to be taken. The Chair should take cognisance of the notices,” he said. Rejecting Agarwal’s contention, Kurien said: “You can oppose, but don’t try to stall the Bill...There is no Point of Order.”
On January 31 this year, the Government had amended the controversial lokpal Bill, delinking it from the setting up of lokayuktas in States and transferring powers of sanction of prosecution against public servants to the ombudsman. The Union Cabinet had accepted 14 of the 16 recommendations made by the Rajya Sabha Select Committee, which was set up in May last year amid sharp differences among political parties because of which the legislation remained stuck in the Upper House since December 2011. After getting a nod from the Upper House, the Bill with amendments will go back for fresh approval to the lok Sabha where it has already been passed.
The Rajya Sabha dispensed with the scheduled private members’ resolutions to allow a full debate on the lokpal Bill. Chairman Hamid Ansari said it has been the practice of the House that no Bill is passed without a full debate unless both sides agree to forgo it. BSP chief Mayawati said her party supports the lokpal Bill and demanded that the Government should ensure its passage in the ongoing session of Parliament.
“Our party is not against the lokpal Bill. If there is any need for changes in it, it should be done in public interest. But this Bill should not be stalled and there should be a debate on the issue and it should be passed in this session itself,” Mayawati said outside Parliament House. Senior Congress leader Satyavrat Chaturvedi blamed the SP for stalling the process of debate on lokpal when one of its party member is signatory to the amended Bill passed unanimously by the select committee. “It is a historic moment after 40 years. There could be no reason as why they are opposing it,” Chaturvedi alleged while speaking to reporters outside Parliament.