Parliament logjam continues

Vibha Sharma & Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, december 5

The first day of the new week in both Houses again witnessed repeated adjournments with the Opposition sticking to its long-held stance on the contentious demonetisation issue.

Despite the strategic initiation of a discussion on the issue in the Lok Sabha under Rule 193 (which does not need voting), Opposition parties, which demanded discussion under Rule 184 (debate with voting), intensified protest, defeating the government’s efforts to break the logjam.

Coming down heavily on the Congress, Left and the Trinamool Congress, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said the government had made all efforts to bring the Opposition on board on the issue that has stalled Parliament for three weeks now.

There are a few signals to indicate that the Congress may allow the two Houses to function normally in the later part of the week, but the possibility of GST supporting Bills seeing light of the day in this session remain doubtful.

Top functionaries today reiterated that Constitutional compulsion to have a GST in place was not before September 2017. The government has been planning to kick off the ambitious reform by April 1.

Meanwhile, the first indication of a thaw came when the Opposition today toned down its earlier demand for a debate under Rule 56 to Rule 184. Sources said they could be ready to show some flexibility, perhaps later this week.

What is also giving the government hope — that it may be able to push through some legislative business this session—are the apparent chinks in the Opposition unity. The government’s floor managers say Opposition parties such as BJD, YRCP and TRS and some smaller group are with it on the demonetisation issue.

The very fact that members from Congress, TMC, Left and RJD did not allow YRCP’s Jitender Reddy to even respond to his notice on which the debate on demonetisation was allowed under Rule 193 is another indication of the divide. Besides YRCP, the BJD had also given a notice for a debate on demonetisation under the same rule.

Meanwhile, slamming the Opposition for not allowing the Rajya Sabha to take up the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014, Ananth Kumar asked the Congress to clarify its views on legislative business related to public welfare. “Do they (Congress party, Left and TMC, RJD) really want a discussion on demonetisation? They should also clarify their views on Bills on maternity benefit and employees’ compensation. Disruptions cannot be a Parliament strategy. Such obstructions are not only irresponsible but mindless as well.”

However, according to senior Congress leader Anand Sharma, while the Opposition was all for the crucial legislation, it could not be cleared in a din. “Members are agitated for days on the issue. Over the weekend, situation worsened because of rationing of cash. People have not been paid their salaries. We will pass it (the Disabilities Bill) when the House is in order. We are doing our duty,” he said.

Earlier, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said people had not been paid their salaries and ATMs were running dry. “Is there a financial emergency in the country,” he questioned while Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Aggarwal accused PM Narendra Modi of trying to provoke the poor by asking them not to return money deposited in their Jan Dhan accounts.