SP, Trinamool Congress seek debate on Budget
New Delhi: Cracks appeared in the Opposition ranks as the SP and the TMC showed willingness to participate in the debate on the Budget instead of stalling the proceedings, with the government making it clear that it cannot allow Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to have his say and not let others to speak.
As deadlock in the Lok Sabha spilled into the second week, Home Minister Amit Shah and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had a closed-door meeting with Speaker Om Birla in a possible effort to end the impasse.
The Lok Sabha has been witnessing disruptions since February 2, after Gandhi was disallowed by the Chair from quoting from an article based on excerpts of former Army chief M M Naravane’s “unpublished memoir”, which has references to the India-China conflict of 2020. The Lok Sabha witnessed repeated adjournments on Monday as Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi rose to make his remarks, when the Chair had called Congress leader Shashi Tharoor to initiate the discussion on the General Budget.
Congress leaders have been accusing the Speaker of being partisan and favouring the BJP-led ruling alliance and were planning a no-confidence motion against him along with a section of the opposition.
Opposition leaders including Gandhi, Abhishek Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress (TMC),
Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and T R Baalu (DMK) met the Speaker with their demands to be allowed to speak in the House.
Yadav, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, said the opposition parties want the House to function. “All of us in the opposition want the House to function. This becomes even more important at a time when such a big deal has been signed with America “it is not a deal, it is a giveaway to open up our markets,” he said.
Banerjee, the leader of the TMC in the Lok Sabha, said orderly conduct of the House was essential. “Elected opposition MPs must be given the time and opportunity to speak. They represent millions of citizens and their voices cannot be erased by arbitrary suspensions,” he said.
Rijiju said he cannot agree to a situation where the LoP alone will speak, make accusations, then create a ruckus and not let others speak. “That will not happen. We will not agree to that. If the Congress speaks, then we will insist that other members also be allowed to speak. We will not allow only the Congress party to speak,” Rijiju said.
