Truce reached, RS to discuss Delhi riots today

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 11

The Rajya Sabha was on Wednesday Adjourned for the day after the government and the Opposition agreed to a discussion in the House tomorrow on the Delhi riots.

The Opposition was demanding a discussion on the issue today itself. The House witnessed three brief adjournments as the government and Opposition parties were trying to reach an agreement on holding the discussion on the violence as well as the debate on two ordinances which are set to lapse.

As the House met at 3.40 pm, Deputy Chairman Harivansh called Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi to give his statement.

Joshi said, “As agreed in the meeting in the Deputy Chairman’s Chamber, the two ordinances (listed in supplementary agenda) would be discussed tomorrow at 11 am. Thereafter, there would be a discussion on Delhi violence in the House.”

The two ordinances are the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019 and the Mineral Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020.

Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said: “We have agreed that we will finish the discussion on two ordinances in the morning tomorrow and discuss the Delhi violence in the afternoon.” He asked the Deputy Chairman, “I request you to adjourn the House for the day.” Thereafter the Deputy Chairman said, “Since it is the sense of the House, I adjourn the House till 11 am on March 12, 2020.”

In the morning, the House was adjourned till 2 pm after Opposition parties raised the issue of communal violence in Delhi and the government ban on two Malayalam news channels for their coverage of the riots. While Left parties raised the issue of the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry imposing a 48-hour telecast ban on Asianet News and Media One TV, the TMC raised the issue of recent communal violence in the national capital.