The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday functioned without adjournments despite renewed demands from the Opposition for a debate on the ongoing protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register for Citizens (NRC). They also rose in protest every time Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur stood up to speak.
The trouble started when Mr. Thakur rose to lay the paper listed against his name. The moment his name was called, some Opposition members started shouted “goli maaro” in a reference to Mr. his campaign speech in Delhi where this slogan was raised. The Election Commission of India has barred him from campaigning after the controversial remarks.
The Opposition members once again demanded that under Rule 267, which allows suspension of the day's business, a debate on the protests against the CAA and the NRC be done. Chairman Venkaiah Naidu reminded the Opposition that he had disallowed invoking this Rule.
In protest, some TMC and Congress members trooped into the Well of the House and started slogans like 'Goli Marna Band Kero', 'Modi Tere Tanashai Nahi Chalegi', 'Loktantra Ke Hatya Nahi Chalege', and several other slogans against the NRC, the CAA, and the National Population Register (NPR).
Mr. Naidu once again explained why he had disallowed the motion under the Rule to suspend the day's business to debate issues of national importance. He said the President's address had referred to the CAA and any discussion on the issue could happen when the Houses debated the address. “And then, if you want to criticise it, criticise it. If you want to support it, support it,” he said. On the Rule, he said he too had had an experience on how many times it was allowed and under what circumstances. The Rule was rarely invoked. The Opposition was “killing democracy” by not allowing the House to function, he stated.
The Opposition halted it’s sloganeering every time one of their member stood up to speak, and raised the decibel of protests when it was turn of the Treasury benches to speak. YSR Congress member Vijay Sai Reddy pointed this out. “You can't take away the right of the House. Why is this selective protest by the Congress? They are not democratic. That is the reason why the Congress has been taught a lesson by the people of this country,” Mr Reddy said.
A total of 21 members spoke amidst the din on issues sych as the coronavirus, onion exports, Nirbhaya rape case, and locust attack on crops.
