Ramesh's 'loaded' query

Rajya Sabha member and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh asked Deputy Chairman of the House P J Kurien a tricky question on Friday. Ramesh sought clarification from Kurien whether a private members’ bill related to the reorganisation of Andhra Pradesh was a money bill or not and if the Upper House was competent to take a call on it. The said bill was introduced by Congress leader K V P Ramachandra Rao as a private member’s bill in 2015. After Finance Minister Arun Jaitley objected, Kurien had ruled that the bill was a money bill and could not be debated in the Upper House. The Lok Sabha Speaker had said it was not a money bill. Later, the Lok Sabha secretariat had sought the views of the law ministry in the matter. Kurien realised that Ramesh had lobbed a loaded query at him but he responded by saying that Ramesh was clever in bringing it up. Jairam smiled back.