T-Bill introduction raises Oppn hackles

The crisis over the introduction of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill is not yet over.

The Opposition has questioned the decision of Speaker Meira Kumar to use her discretionary powers in the introduction of the Bill. Leaders of almost all Opposition parties met the Speaker and conveyed their displeasure in the way the Bill was introduced.

The leaders, including LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Gurudas Dasgupta and M Thambidurai, told the Speaker that she did not follow the procedure.

The Speaker told them the Bill has been introduced and she did this using her discretion as the Chair. They argued that the supplementary list of business of the day, in which the Bill was listed, was not circulated to the members before 12 pm.

Countering the views of the Opposition, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said the Bill has been introduced and the Government will now try to pass it at the earliest.

The Government’s plan is to pass the Bill in Lok Sabha on February 18. By suspending 17 MPs from Andhra Pradesh, the Congress has reemphasised that it is serious about passing the Bill in Parliament.

“Now, we hope that the Bill can be taken up for discussion next week. We do not want the Bill to be passed without any debate on it. We are confident of its passage in Lok Sabha on 18 February and the Bill is likely to come up in Rajya Sabha the next day,” a senior Congress leader said.

Democratic practices Opposition parties alleged that the Government is destroying democratic practices. “Government has claimed that the Bill has been introduced, but we do not accept,” Swaraj told reporters after the meeting with the Speaker. “I was sitting in the House even after the spray incident and wanted to stay inside till I was advised by marshals to leave, as it could cause harm to my health. As long as I was inside the House, not even an ‘I’ of the Bill was read. I don’t know when the Bill was introduced,” she said.

Biju Janata Dal leader Bhartruhari Mahtab said the Congress wants to place the Telangana Bill as a Damocles’ sword over Parliament. “The anti-corruption Bills will not be passed in this session due to the uproar over the Telangana Bill. This shows the Centre’s lack of seriousness,” he said.

TDP MP M Venugopala Reddy said forcible introduction of a Bill is not democracy.

“This kind of behaviour from an outgoing government is deplorable. Congress MPs actually became marshals today,” he said.

Call for resignation Trinamool leader Kalyan Banerjee said the Prime Minister should resign. “It is because of the Congress that democracy has come to such a pass, as it could not control its own MPs,” he added.

COMMENT NOW