Ruckus in RS continues over suspension of members; Sonia slams Govt on price rise

Amid continuing protests by Opposition members over the suspension of 12 members, the Rajya Sabha passed the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill on Wednesday. The Bill, passed earlier in Lok Sabha, is to regulate and supervise assisted reproductive technology clinics.

Another Bill, The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, was also passed with some amendments suggested by a Select Committee of Rajya Sabha on the Bill. It will now go back to Lok Sabha for passage.

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said most of the recommendations of the Select Committee have been incorporated in the amended Bill.

Rajya Sabha witnessed adjournments on Wednesday too as the Opposition protested the suspension of their colleagues on November 29, the first day of the session. They were suspended for “unruly behaviour” on the closing day of the previous session. The Opposition members boycotted the proceedings and joined the suspended MPs for a protest in front of the Gandhi statue in parliament complex.

‘Protest not allowed’

“We are repeatedly requesting that the suspension of the members be revoked. The suspension is illegal, undemocratic and unconstitutional. I will prove it is wrong. We are ready to cooperate,” said Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge.

The Rajya Sabha Chairman, Venkaiah Naidu said disobeying the chair is undemocratic. “Disturbing the House is undemocratic. You cannot be having this everyday. This is not the way. You are compounding the offence. What is this? You are not letting the House function for the last 10 days. This protest is not allowed,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh said due procedure was followed in obtaining the prorogation order of the President of India for the last session of the House. He said a session of the Rajya Sabha commences on the date and time mentioned in the summoning order of the President and ends with the day on which he prorogues the House.

“Therefore, there is no question of any doubt on the point raised by (Congress leader) Anand Sharma whether this session is a separate one or a continuation of the previous session of the Rajya Sabha,” he said.

Sharma had raised objections on the decision to suspend 12 MPs for an offence they allegedly committed during the Monsoon Session.

Meanwhile, addressing a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary party, Sonia Gandhi said issue of spiralling prices of all essential commodities of daily consumption is not allowed to be discussed in Parliament.

“I cannot understand how and why the Narendra Modi government is so insensitive and continues to deny the seriousness of the problem. It seems impervious to the suffering of the people,” she said. She said the Centre is busy selling off precious national assets like banks, insurance companies, public sector enterprises, railways and airports.

“A few big companies making profits or the stock market rising to new heights does not mean that the economy is recovering. And if profits are being made by shedding labour, what social value do these profits have? Yes, the economy had lost its momentum well before Covid-19 struck. Yes, the pandemic accelerated this loss. But thanks to the government’s half-hearted and ill-advised responses, the situation has become even more serious,” she added.

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