Opposition leader, Naqvi in war of words over proceedings

New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha witnessed sharp exchanges as Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad charged the Modi government of trying to push legislative business on Friday afternoon when there are less number of MPs in the House. However, the charge was vehemently opposed by the minister of state for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

He accused the government of taking advantage of lack of Opposition members on Friday late afternoon and going back on its word by pushing contentious bills in Rajya Sabha.

Mr Naqvi shot back saying ensuring the presence of the Opposition members was not his job and stated that the listed legislative business can be taken up once the private members’ business collapse. The ruling NDA is in a minority in the Upper House.

The Friday post-lunch sitting of the Rajya Sabha is usually reserved for private members’ business where legislators bring in non-government resolutions or bills for approval.

Flagging the issue, Derek O’Brien (Trinamul Congress) said the revised list of business for the day lists

The Factories (Amendment) Bill 2016 after the private members’ business on Friday. His party demanded that the bill should not to be taken up.

While clarifying the issue, deputy chairman P.J. Kurien said if the private member business collapses before 5pm, the Chair has no option but to take up the listed business.

However, Mr Azad said no bills should be taken up on Friday afternoon even if the private members’ business collapses and the House should be adjourned.

Mr Azad recalled that the government had used the absence of almost the entire Opposition on a Friday earlier in this session to get the Enemy Property Bill approved.

This was despite being “unanimously” agreed at the Business Advisory Committee of the Rajya Sabha that the discussion on the bill will not be taken up unless a consensus is reached, Mr Azad said.

He said the government did not inform the opposition of its intention to take up the bill on Friday after the private member business and alleged that this route was chosen knowing that it cannot get the bill passed otherwise and uses absence of the opposition members to get crucial bills passed.

Rebutting the accusations, Mr Naqvi said the Enemy Property Bill was referred to a select committee of the House and when private members’ business collapsed that day, the bill, which was listed in the business of the day, was taken up. He said it was not his responsibility to ensure the presence of opposition members.

To this, Azad shot back saying the government had given an assurance that the Bill will not be taken up for discussion unless there was consensus.   Kurien said the Chair was concerned only about the assurance given on the floor of the House. “If private members business collapses before 5 pm, then the Chair is duty-bound to go to the next (listed) item,” he said. “But if there is consensus in the House not to take up a particular legislation, then the item can be postponed. If there is no consensus, the Chair has no other option but to take up the listed bill,” he said as he sought the opinion of the House on the Factories Bill.

The treasury benches said they were not in alignment with the opinion of the opposition that the bill should not be taken up today.   Kurien said there is no consensus on the Factories Bill today.