Ravi Shankar Prasad asserted that the government had a clear majority when adopting agricultural bills
New Delhi:
Condemning the opposition’s conduct in passing farm bills on Sunday as “shameful”, the government said on Monday that Rajya Sabha’s vice-president Harivansh had been “almost assaulted” by members of the opposition even though he was ready to present their motion for a private member’s bill. to the select committee.
Eight members of Congress, CPI (M), Trinamool Congress and AAP were suspended earlier in the day for the remainder of the monsoon session due to their “unruly behavior” during the passage agricultural bills in the Rajya Sabha Sunday.
“The conduct of the opposition leaders in the upper house of parliament on Sunday was shameful, irresponsible and totally disrespectful of parliamentary rules and dignity,” Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said. He was addressing a press conference with his cabinet colleagues Pralhad Joshi and Piyush Goyal on the pandemonium in Rajya Sabha on Sunday and Monday.
Suspended members who do not leave parliament on Monday despite the President’s declaration of suspension were “manifestly illegal and further aggravate their conduct in regard to the violation of standards,” Prasad said.
He said the government had a clear majority when the Farm Bills were passed. It had 110 members in favor of the bill compared to 72 to 72, he said.
Hailing Harivansh’s behavior as “exemplary”, Mr Prasad said the Deputy Speaker of the Upper House was ready to take back the opposition motion to send the bills to the select committee and urged them to return to their seats so that the House is in order.
“… this is a record question 13 times, the Honorable Vice-President has asked members of the opposition to return to their seats so that he can resume the motion of the members of the opposition to send the bill to the select committee, “Prasad said, adding that they instead sat on the table and destroyed the microphone in front of him.
“It was the most shameful day in the history of Parliament, the microphone was destroyed and the rules were torn up. There is enough visual evidence available that if the martials had not protected Vice President Harivanshji would have been almost physically assaulted as to what was going on. right next to him on the podium, ”Mr. Prasad said.
Describing Harviansh as a respected Indian of Bihar, the Union minister said the people of the state were hurt by the behavior of the opposition and would give them a response.
“A prominent Indian from Bihar who made his mark not in the country but in the world was humiliated and Congress and the RJD were encouraging him in the most bewildered way,” he said.
Harivansh is the deputy of JD (U), an ally of BJP, from Bihar.
Citing the Congress election manifesto and statements by key ministers in states governed by it, Mr Prasad accused the opposition party of double weight on issues such as contract farming and agricultural marketing committees. .
According to government sources, there have been 10 cases where members of the Rajya Sabha were suspended during the tenure of congressional governments.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, who was also present at the press conference, said the proposal to cut the session short came from the opposition.
