TMC, Congress may join debate from tomorrow

New Delhi: While both Houses of Parliament were deadlocked for the 13th consecutive day on Monday, with the Opposition and the government locked in a tussle over the demonetisation debate and under what rule it should be held, the Trinamul Congress signalled that it may participate in the discussion from Wednesday as the party feels it “must register its voice” before the Winter Session ends on December 16. The Congress is learnt to be thinking on similar lines. The government too expressed its readiness to discuss the issue and listen to the views of members on “deficiencies” in its implementation so that these could be corrected.

On Monday, the Lok Sabha couldn’t function because of differences over the rule under which a debate should be held, while the Rajya Sabha was paralysed in an uproar by the Opposition over the cash crunch caused by the demonetisation.

In the Lok Sabha, which saw repeated adjournments since the morning, a discussion under Rule 193 was taken up in the post-lunch session. There is no provision for voting under this rule. The Opposition, led by the TMC and the Congress, had been demanding a discussion under Rule 56 (adjournment motion) or at least Rule 184, both of which have a provision for voting. The government said it was “its final effort to start a discussion” on demonetisation.

The Opposition, led by the Trinamul Congress and the Congress, however, did not allow Telangana Rashtra Samithi MP A.P. Jeethendra Reddy to speak by almost gheraoing him and shouting slogans into his microphone. Besides, Mr Reddy, the motion for discussion under Rule 193 was moved by Biju Janata Dal leader B. Mehtab, who was not present in the House when his name was called.

As TMC members Kalyan Banerjee, Aparupa Poddar and Shatabdi Roy shouted slogans, Mr Reddy managed to read only a little bit of his speech and kept asking Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to bring the House to order. Amid pandemonium, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day.

Trinamul Congress sources said that though they managed to “abort” the discussion on Monday, they wanted their voices heard before the Parliament session ends. “The sense of the party is that while a vote on the discussion on demonetisation is important, it was also important that the Opposition voices are registered before December 16 when the session ends,” a senior Trinamul leader said.

Sources in the TMC, that has been trying to assume leadership of the anti-demonetisation campaign, also said the Opposition were still together on the issue. The government, on its part, said that three-fourths of the House wanted a discussion and only the TMC, Congress and the Left parties were preventing it.

In the Lok Sabha, home minister Rajnath Singh said it was clear that nobody was questioning the intent of the government over the demonetisation move, even though some felt it had not been done in the proper way. He also said the Opposition was divided as parties like TRS and BJD wanted a debate under Rule 193, that doesn’t entail voting, instead of Rule 184, that entails voting, as sought by the Congress, Trinamul Congress and Left parties.

Parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar claimed that the TMC, Congress and Left were losing credibility and getting isolated within the Opposition ranks due to their “negative” approach.

“For the past 13 days, the Congress and other Opposition parties are not letting Parliament function. The BJD and the TRS, which are not part of the NDA, are ready for a discussion. Today the Speaker accepted the demand of BJD leader Bhartruhari  Mahtab and TRS MP A.P. Jithender Reddy for a short-time discussion, but Congress and TMC members did not allow them to speak and the House to function,” he said.

Mr Kumar said it was the final effort by the government to start a discussion on demonetisation. “This omnibus obstruction is mindless and irresponsible,” he said.