Both Houses of the Parliament were adjourned for the day on the second day of the Winter Session on Wednesday after parliamentarians protested, demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee investigation into the Rafale jet deal with France, and the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Earlier in the day, the Lower House was adjourned till noon after Congress, Shiv Sena, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MPs protested over various matters, including Rafale, Cauvery row and Ram temple. Shiv Sena MP Chandrakant Khaire had submitted an adjournment notice after bringing up the Ram temple question, ANI reported.
As protests grew, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned proceedings till 12 pm. However, as soon as the House reconvened, several MPs started shouting “We want JPC [Joint Parliamentary Committee]”. Biju Janata Dal leader Bhartruhari Mahtab introduced the Dam Safety Bill in the Lower House. Amid the increasing protests by other MPs, the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day.
In the Rajya Sabha, the House was adjourned till noon immediately after Congress leader Anand Sharma gave a notice to suspend business to discuss the Rafale deal. Leaders of the DMK and the AIADMK entered the Well of the house protesting over Cauvery water-sharing row.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu urged the legislators to return to their seats. However, as the protesting members refused to relent, Naidu suspended the proceedings till noon.
Protests in the Upper House continued soon after the House reconvened, following which the Chairman adjourned it till 2 pm. It was later adjourned for the day as members kept protesting.
On Monday, the Shiv Sena had said that it would not allow Parliament to function if the government does not introduce a bill to build the temple. “The Shiv Sena has been demanding that the government brings a bill in Parliament for the construction of the Ram temple,” Khaire had said at an all-party meeting called by the National Democratic Alliance on Monday. “If the government does not do so in the Winter Session, our party will not allow Parliament to function.”
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had on Tuesday held an all-party meeting in New Delhi to build a consensus and ensure the Lok Sabha functions smoothly. Both the Houses were adjourned that day following tributes to deceased leaders, including former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee and Union minister Ananth Kumar.
Meanwhile, Rashtriya Janata Dal parliamentarian JP Yadav submitted an adjournment notice in the Lok Sabha over the “misuse of the Central Bureau of Investigation”. In October, the Centre sent the agency’s Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana on leave after they accused each other of corruption. The Opposition has accused the government of vitiating the atmosphere in national institutions and interfering in their functioning.
Another adjournment notice was submitted by Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan on demonetisation and the apparent rift between the Reserve Bank of India and the government. In the Rajya Sabha, the Trinamool Congress sought an immediate discussion on “the threat to nation’s institutions like the RBI”.
Besides the Dam Safety Bill, the Consumer Protection Bill is set to be considered in the Lok Sabha, PTI reported. In the Rajya Sabha, the National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill, 2018, and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2018, are expected to be considered.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged all members of the House to help discuss several key Bills and said he hoped members would invest in people’s welfare instead of themselves.
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