The Winter session of Parliament appears to be headed for a virtual washout with the third week ending today without transaction of any substantial business because of the Opposition ruckus over demonetisation and some other issues.
Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha continued to be deadlocked over the way a debate should take place on demonetisation announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8.
While maintaining attack on the government over demonetisation, the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha today created disruptions by raising the issue of slashing of import duty on wheat from 10 per cent to nil. The House was, however, finally adjourned for the day because of lack of quorum.
Ever since the session began on November 16, the Lok Sabha has managed to conduct only two legislative actions -- passage of Income Tax amendment bill and approval of Supplementary Demand for Grants -- that too amid din and without much debate.
The Rajya Sabha has functioned normally only on the first day of the session when the debate on demonetisation was initiated and held for about 5 hours.
With a four-day holiday in between, the session has only three working days left before it concludes on December 16.
In the Lok Sabha, the stand-off over demonetisation intensified today with the government hitting back at agitating Opposition and demanding its apology for paralysing Parliament, citing the adverse comments by President Pranab Mukherjee over disruptions.
As soon as the House assembled for the day at 1100 hours, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge rose to make some points but BJP members latched on to the President's obervations made yesterday, to target the opposition party.
Soon, a verbal spat broke out between the two sides and Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till 1130 hours.
When the House met again, Kharge said the Opposition was ready for debating demonetisation and has been continuously requesting for it. "We are ready for debate on demonetisation and its repercussions," he said.
However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar immediately shot back saying the Opposition has disrupted the House for 16 days and held it to ransom and they must tender an apology.
"For 16 days they have disrupted the House and held it hostage. Majority wanted to debate. But Congress, TMC and Left members are not allowing the House to function. The situation has reached such a stage that the President had to speak against the disruption. They must tender apology to the people of the country," he said.
BJP member Meenakshi Lekhi said for protests and sit-ins, as suggested by the President, Jantar Mantar is the best place and not the Parliament and hence the Opposition must apologise.
BJP veteran L K Advani, who had on Wednesday expressed his displeasure over the continuing impasse in the House, was at one point seen pacifying agitated ruling party members.
As the pandemonium continued, the Speaker adjourned the House till noon.
The impasse continued when the Lower House re-assembled
and HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar tabled a bill amid the din before the Speaker adjourned the House for the day.
Earlier, the House recalled the December 13, 2001 terror attack on Parliament and paid tributes to 8 Delhi Police, CRPF and Parliament Security Service Personnel who had laid down their lives defending the people inside the complex. The Speaker took up the matter today as the Lok Sabha will not meet on December 13.
In the Rajya Sabha, members of Congress, BSP, SP, JD(U) and Left protested against slashing of import duty on wheat, saying it will hit the farmers hard particularly when the country has enough buffer stock.
Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said there was no shortage of wheat in the country and the decision was taken to cool down domestic prices which have shown an upward trend in recent weeks.
"This is not a permanent decision", he said, indicating it can be reviewed if need arises.
Minister of State for Agriculture Parsottambhai Rupala said the decision was necessitated as domestic prices were rising. The government uses market intervention to keep prices in check, he said, adding the decision on import duty will be reconsidered if farmers faced problems.
Earlier, raising the issue, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said he had given a notice under Rule 267 to suspend business of the day to discuss the decision that will "ruin Indian farmers" while "MNCs will rake in super-profits".
Condemning the decision, he said it will hit hard the farmers who are already suffering due to demonetisation because of which they are unable to buy seeds and fertiliser.
Describing the move to reduce import duty as "shameful act", Yechury said it will lead to food riots. "This is against the interest of the nation and its farmes. It is an anti-national act," he said.
"He (farmer) has to make distress sale," he said, adding wheat is being sold at Rs 700-800 per qunital as against MSP of Rs 1540 fixed by the government.
Bhupinder Yadav (BJP) said another 267 notice cannot be taken up if debate has resumed and remained inconclusive on another notice accepted under the same Rule.
He was referring to the inconclusive debate on demonetisation and Deputy Chairman P J Kurien agreed with him. Kurien then said he is not allowing Yechury's motion.
BSP chief Mayawati (BSP) said the decision will benefit the rich and was against the farmers, while Sharad Yadav (JDU) questioned the need to allow imports when there were enough stocks available within the country.
Jairam Ramesh (Cong) said if the buffer stock is high, why were imports being allowed.
Reduction in duty would mean that the companies of US, France and Ukraine would get benefited and Indian farmers would go without any incentive, he said.
"This is a slap on face of Indian agriculture in the year when it is celebrating 50 years of green revolution," he said adding that farmers have no cash to buy seeds and fertilisers.
"This is 'videsh uthan' (benefit of foreigners) and anti-farmer," Ramesh said.
Sukhendu Shekhar Roy (TMC) referred to demonetisation and
asked the Chair to take a sense of the House if an obituary reference should be made for the "111 persons" who died while standing in queues in front of banks and ATMs during last one month.
As Kurien moved to Zero Hour mentions, opposition members trooped in the Well raising slogans like "Kisan virodhi yeh sarkar nahi chalegi, nahi chalegi (anti-farmer government will not be tolerated)", forcing adjournment till noon.
When the House met again, the pleas of Chairman Hamid Ansari to allow the Question Hour to function went unheeded, with opposition members on their feet raising slogans.
Soon after he called for taking up the Question Hour, the opposition members including those from Congress and SP, were in the Well and raised slogans. Slogans of "Kisan virodhi yeh sarkar nahin chalegi" rent the air as Chairman said that "you cannot do this during Question Hour".
When Ansari again took up Question Hour, protesting Opposition members gave back a resounding 'No', while those from the treasury benches shouted 'Yes' waiving questions.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said "unfortunately the opposition members are not allowing the House to function. The President also appealed to members to do their job by allowing the House to function. They should be ashamed of themselves and take his advise to allow important issues to be discussed."
Naqvi alleged the Opposition members were creating ruckus ever since the session started. "There are important issues that have been listed. These relate to welfare of the poor, weaker sections, women, employees and disabled," he said.
He said they should either allow the Question Hour to function or take forward the debate on demonetisation which has remained inconclusive.
The pleas of Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to the Chairman also did not yield any dividend. Some opposition members also alleged that it was not the Opposition, but the ruling party which is creating the uproar.
Yechury said the members wanted to speak on the issues of slashing import duty on wheat and demonetisation.
Ansari, however, "nothing can be done in this noise" and adjourned the House till 1430 hours.
When the House reassembled and Private Members' business was to be taken up, only a handful of members were present.
Congress leader Anand Sharma raised the issue of lack of quorum through a point of order.
Kurien, while reading out the listed business, directed the ringing of the quorum bell to call the members and taking a count of those present in the House.
Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said quorum was the responsibility of the government and if they cannot do it, the responsibility should be handed over to the Opposition.
Interestingly, some Congress members present in the House left just seconds before the House reassembled.
Naqvi said the Opposition too has a role in running of the House as well as its adjournment. He also wanted to recite a couplet but the Chair said nothing can go on record so long as a decision on quorum is taken.
As enough number of members did not assemble even after ringing of the bell twice, Kurien adjourned the House for the day, within minutes of its recovening, citing lack of quorum.
As per the rules, at least 10 per cent of the total strenght of the House is required to be present for quorum. In the case of 245-member Rajya Sabha, the quorum number is 25.
