PM ready to speak, but row goes on, says Rajnath Singh

New Delhi: Seeking to break the deadlock, home minister Rajnath Singh told the Lok Sabha on Monday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would speak in the demonetisation debate if the Opposition wanted, but the rival parties clamouring for a debate with a provision for voting were unimpressed, forcing the House to adjourn without transacting any business.

A number of Opposition leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge of Congress, Sudip Bandhopadhyay of Trinamul Congress and Samajwadi chief Mulayam Singh Yadav spoke as they pressed their demand for an adjournment motion, a condition that was not acceptable to the treasury benches which want a debate without voting.

For the eighth day, the Opposition stalled proceedings in both Houses of Parliament over demonetisation, with both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha disrupted, leading to their premature adjournment for the day. Rajya Sabha saw three adjournments  between 11 am and 2 pm before the final adjournment for the day. The Lok Sabha was adjourned twice before being adjourned till Tuesday at 2.10 pm.

In the Lok Sabha, in response to the Opposition leaders’ demand for an adjournment motion, home minister Rajnath Singh said the Prime Minister would speak on demonetisation if the Opposition wanted but a debate should be held, and the Speaker should decide under what rule it should take place. Mr Singh said it was clear no one was questioning the government’s intentions over the demonetisation or imputing any mala fide.

While he was speaking, Opposition members trooped into the Well and shouted slogans. Amid din, Mr Singh said the government was ready for a discussion and was ready to listen to complaints and suggestions put forward by different parties on execution of the demonetisation move.

“As far as the Prime Minister coming to the House is concerned, if the Opposition wants he will come and intervene,” the home minister assured the members. The decision on the rule under which the debate should take place was for the Speaker to take, he said. As the uproar continued, the Speaker adjourned the House till 2 pm.

Earlier, Mr Kharge said demonetisation had harmed the economic system, farmers, youths, labourers and women, among others, who were in distress.

When the Lok Sabha met again at 2 pm after adjournment, finance minister Arun Jaitley rose to introduce a bill to amend the Income-Tax Act to allow the authorities to impose a 75 per cent tax and 10 per cent penalty in case undisclosed wealth was detected in the deposits made after the demonetisation. Members from the Opposition parties who were asking the Speaker to take up their adjournment motions on the note ban rushed to the Well raising slogans. Mr Jaitley then introduced the bill amid the uproar. The din and slogan-shouting continued for a few more minutes before the House was adjourned for the day at around 10 minutes past 2 pm.