Rajya Sabha Dy Chairman running House at behest of PMO: Congress

A day after the passage of farm sector related Bill in the Rajya Sabha via voice vote, which invited ample criticism from the Opposition, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury today said that Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh was running the House at the behest of the Prime Minister's Office.

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday criticised the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh, accusing him of running the House at the "behest of the Prime Minister's Office", after eight opposition party leaders were suspended for creating ruckus in the Parliament while opposing the Farm Bills.

Earlier on Sunday, 12 opposition parties had also moved a no-confidence motion against the deputy chairman for denying a division of votes on the passage of two agriculture sector bills. However, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu rejected the no-confidence motion today, saying that it was "not in proper format".

While addressing the media, Congress' Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, "We are entitled to ask for division of votes as per the rules enshrined in the Parliamentary system. At the behest of PMO, house is being run. Newly elected Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, had some obligations to oblige the government. He tried to muzzle the voice of opposition parties."

"If it is found that the deputy chairman is playing a partisan role then it is the onus upon us to check him by the instruments available with us. It is within the ambit of Parliamentary rights and democratic system. I condemn this kind of expulsion of MPs of Rajya Sabha in such a brazen manner," he added.

Read:RS uproar over Farm Bills is anti-democratic: Rattan Lal Kataria

Reacting over the suspension of Rajya Sabha MPs, the Congress leader said, "In order to divert the attention from the plight of farmers, the government is displaying the commotion inside Rajya Sabha as if we did not know how to run the Parliament. Congress party is very much accustomed to the practices of Parliament."

Congress Chief Spokesperson and newly appointed General Secretary, Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "To save the monarchy of PM Modi, the government is murdering the democracy of this country. Elected democracy has now become one sided autocracy. The way in which eight MPs of Rajya Sabha got suspended this morning and the way in which voice of opposition parties are being muzzled, this country will never forgive the Modi Government."

"Forcibly pushing MPs out of the house by Marshals, muting live telecast of Rajya Sabha proceedings and rejecting no-confidence motion against Deputy Chairman, is this a part of Parliamentary democracy?" he asked.

Currently, the opposition leaders, including the eight suspended MPs, are sitting on a protest in front of the Gandhi statue in Parliament. The suspended MPs of Rajya Sabha are TMC's Derek O'Brien and Dola Sen, AAP's Sanjay Singh, Congress' Rajeev Satav and Syed Naseer Hussain, and CPI(M)'s KK Ragesh and Elamaram Kareem.

Read:Three Covid-19 vaccine candidates in different stages of clinical trial: Harsh Vardhan

"May I ask this Government whether it was necessary to bring this resolution in such a manner which may boil down to the privatization of agriculture sector of our country?" asked Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

Earlier yesterday, the Rajya Sabha passed Farm bills despite strong protests by the opposition leaders. The Opposition has been protesting against the Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020.

"The country is witnessing outrage, depression, frustration of our farmers. The basic issue which has triggered this controversy across the nation is that government has been exploring ways and ideas to starve those farmers of our country. So naturally, irrespective of any party, colour, religion, entire agriculture community is hitting the streets," Chowdhury said.

"On one hand, PM is exporting to the people of our country that we need to be self-reliant. In 1960s, then PM Indira Gandhi first had the idea of become self-reliant in food grain production and that is why Green Revolution was started. But it was the farmers who were the main contributors because of which this revolution succeeded. Now, they are being persecuted by this government," he alleged.

Read:Rajya Sabha adjourned till tomorrow amid protest against suspension of MPs