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The Opposition got fresh reason to protest in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday as Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu rejected their demand to hold a discussion on the PNB scam under a rule that entails voting.
Instead, he allowed a short duration discussion on the “the reported scams in some Public Sector Banks” on a notice submitted by BJP and JD(U) members. Wednesday was the 17th consecutive day of disruptions in Rajya Sabha.
When the House met at 3.40 pm, after a four-hour function to bid farewell to retiring members, Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien invited BJP member Rupa Ganguly to start the short-duration discussion on banking scams.
Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma protested and demanded to know why the Congress’ notice was not considered by the Chairman. “The Chair must inform the House why our notices are not in order...There cannot be arbitrariness. We have the right to be informed,” he said. He also pointed out that BJP members who have given the notices were not present in the House and hence, the discussion cannot take place. He termed the scam the biggest bank fraud in the country’s history and said ₹23,000 crore of public money was involved in it.
Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad supported him and said the Congress wanted a discussion with voting, as the party’s members who gave notices had demanded.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel alleged that the Opposition was not allowing a debate on the issue and said they did not want the House to take up and pass a Bill that seeks to amend the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
Meanwhile, the AIADMK’s A Navaneethakrishnan raised the Cauvery water sharing dispute. “A serious problem is now going on. Rule of law has become an empty phrase. The Centre refuses to implement the judgment passed by the Supreme Court,” he said.
Earlier, Azad said in the House that Opposition’s protests were never against the Chair or against particular people. “I want to tell the nation that if democracy is alive in the country, it is because of Parliament,” he added. “The parliamentarians look after the needs of poor people, farmers, workers, women and others and fighting on their behalf, and it is not that MPs would stand benefited from raising voices,” Azad said.
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