The Rajya Sabha on Monday unanimously passed three bills without any debate, marking the first productive session for the upper house after days of disruptions and adjournments. An All-Party Meeting last week had paved the way for consensus on several pieces of legislation, resulting in a relatively efficient day for the upper house of the Indian Parliament, even though there was plenty of disruption as well.
The house passed the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, which establishes special courts to try offences against Dalits and Adivasis. In addition, the Rajya Sabha also returned to the Lok Sabha two bills on supplementary demands for grants, permitting the government to add additional expenditure beyond what was allocated in the Budget on certain schemes.
Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien stood up and told the Chair that it was important to mention that the Bills were passed unanimously and not in a din, PTI reported. To this, a smiling Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien said, "How can there be din? There is perfect calm and tranquility. Everybody is cool. A cool breeze is blowing. I don't know where this breeze is coming from".
But the din didn't disappear for long. The Bharatiya Janata Party also sought to bring in the Juvenile Justice Bill, which had not been listed for the day, prompting protests from the opposition. That Bill will now be taken up on December 22.
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