Opposition walks out of Rajya Sabha, Nadda says govt ready to discuss all issues

Opposition parties, led by the Congress, staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha on Monday after their requests for discussions on various issues were dismissed. In response, Leader of the House JP Nadda suggested that Opposition MPs, including Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, undergo a refresher course on parliamentary rules.

The Opposition had submitted 12 adjournment notices seeking discussions on topics such as the impact of delimitation on Tamil Nadu, the issue of duplicate voter ID cards, and former US President Donald Trump’s remarks on USAID funding voter turnout in India. However, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh rejected the notices and did not allow Kharge to make his submission, prompting the Opposition MPs to protest and walkout.

Following the walkout, Nadda accused the Opposition of using adjournment notices as a tactic to malign the House. He criticised their actions as irresponsible and an attempt to create a false narrative that the government was avoiding debate.

“It’s a vicious design to demean the institution of Parliament. They are not interested in debate but want to give an impression that the government does not want to answer or enter into a discussion. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are ready to discuss anything,” Nadda asserted.

He further pointed out that ample time had been allocated in the coming days for discussions on Budget-related issues. “There are provisions for both short and long-duration debates. I urge all members, including the Leader of the Opposition, to take a refresher course on parliamentary rules and procedures,” Nadda said, advising opposition MPs to familiarise themselves with the rules before engaging in debates.

Among those demanding discussions were DMK’s Tiruchi N Siva and P Wilson, CPI’s Santosh Kumar P and PP Suneer, MDMK’s Vaiko and AAP’s Sanjay Singh, who raised concerns over the upcoming delimitation exercise in the southern states and financial losses suffered by small investors due to the continued decline in stock market indices.