External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday denied in the Rajya Sabha any help to former IPL chief Lalit Modi, triggering a heated discussion on propriety, rules and house privilege between the opposition and treasury benches.
In perhaps the longest stretch the Rajya Sabha worked in this monsoon session, a debate ensued for 55 minutes on the rules of conduct in the upper house once the union minister had made her point.
Opposition members used the opportunity to raise other issues as well, including a written reply by union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh in the upper house, in which he quoted "impotency and love affair" among reasons for farmers' suicides in the country.
"...I never requested the British government to give travel documents to Lalit Modi (to travel to Portugal)," Sushma Swaraj told the Rajya Sabha.
When the Rajya Sabha met in the post lunch session after two earlier adjournments, Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry quoted Leader of the House, Arun Jatiley, to claim that union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj made a "statement" without following due procedures.
"...Arun Jaitley asked Sushma Swaraj to make a statement...it was (done) without the permission of the chair; it was not in the business list either. This is against the rules," said Mistry.
Treasury benches immediately countered him, saying the minister "responded" to the charges made by the opposition for the last two weeks.
Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien said the question was whether the minister made a statement or was it a response.
"The question is whether she made a statement or reacted to what (Congress leader) Anand Sharma said. And the response members make is on record unless expunged by the chair," said Kurien.
Kurien also questioned the opposition, which was displaying placards and creating a ruckus, saying: "You said the minister did something without the chair's permission. Is what you are doing with the permission of the chair?"
"You come to the well, display placards and say the minister did this without permission," said Kurien.
Reacting to opposition contentions, Jaitley retorted: "For two weeks, unsubstantiated statements have been made. Can't the minister even respond? Is speaking without the chair's permission every day not a privilege of the house?"
Congress leader Anand Sharma then maintained that it was a matter of privilege of the house.
"The opposition is in bad state with a three-minute response from the minister (Sushma Swaraj); when a detailed statement comes, they will be in worse situation," Jaitley retorted.
He also slammed Anand Sharma for violating "every rule", to which the Congress leader retorted that the union minister was experiencing "selective memory loss".
Kurien, however, ruled that the minister was well within her rights to respond and did not violate any rules.
"For a statement, prior permission is needed...but if it is a response to what was being said, to such a response a minister or a member has a right," the deputy chairman of the upper house said.
Soon after, Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury stood up and recalled Jaitley's statement on the first day of the monsoon session that he (Yechury) was using the house for a televised opportunity.
He also raised the issue of a notice given by the opposition that was referred to in the house by Jaitley, and said it was not supposed to be made public.
On July 21, Jaitley said in the Rajya Sabha: "Are we going for a discussion or we are going to give a televised opportunity to Mr Yechury."
On July 23, when the opposition demanded resignation before discussion was taken up, Jaitley pointed out that the notice submitted by the opposition did not mention any resignation. The opposition questioned why the notice was given to the government and why it was made public.
Jaitley then pointed out to the rulebook, saying that a notice was meant to be circulated to members so that it could be discussed.
In between the exchanges between the treasury and opposition benches, Janata Dal-United leader K.C. Tyagi said the agriculture minister should clarify on his written reply whereby he said love affairs, dowry and impotence apart from financial crisis were the reasons for farmers' suicides.
The nearly hour-long debate, however, remained inconclusive, and the Congress members once again raised slogans, forcing Kurien to adjourn the house for the day.
