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Poor floor management in the Lok Sabha left the Narendra Modi Government embarrassed yet again, forcing it to defer a debate on its first full-fledged Budget.
The uproar began when Junior Minister for Finance Jayant Sinha rose to initiate the debate. Congress members sprang up demanding the presence of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who is on a three-day visit to the UK.
Though Speaker Sumitra Mahajan clarified that Jaitley had sought her permission to go abroad, Congress MPs, joined by the Left parties, AAP and NCP, continued to shout: “Where is the FM? Where is the PM?” Congress MPs then moved into the well, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House for 15 minutes.
When the House reassembled, the Speaker cited a rule that said a debate can begin in the presence of any Member of the Council of Ministers.
Not giving in, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge requested the Speaker to go by parliamentary convention and “let the debate begin on Monday, when the FM will be in the House”.
TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee added: “The discussion should be started by the main Opposition (Congress) first. Unless they start it, it is not possible for us to participate.”
As arguments continued, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu requested the Speaker to adjourn the House, which she did, deferring the debate to Monday.
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