For the third day in a row, both Houses of Parliament could barely do any business, with the government refusing to concede to the Opposition’s demand of holding a debate on the farmers’ agitation.
Each House managed to pass one bill each amidst din. The Lok Sabha passed the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill and the Rajya Sabha cleared the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
In the Rajya Sabha, commotion began early on, with the first adjournment coming in just 17 minutes after the session began for the day. Chairman Venkaiah Naidu rejected the notices moved by Congress members Deepender Hooda, Pratap Bajwa and Rajiv Satav, along with DMK’s Tiruchi Siva, and RJD’s Manoj K Jha asking for the suspension of business to discuss the farmers’ agitation.
Parliament proceedings updates | March 10, 2021
Mr. Naidu said that the farm laws were debated in the first part of the session itself. “If you have the numbers, you can prevail upon the government. If there are no numbers and if you want to disrupt the House, it is not fair,” he said, adding that the Opposition was not doing any justice to the farmers’ cause.
Govt just doesn’t care: Kharge
Speaking outside the House, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said the Opposition only wanted discussion. “We are not here to cause disruption. What is stopping the government from allowing a discussion on fuel price hike and the farmers’ agitation. The government just doesn’t care,” he alleged.
After two successive adjournments, when the Rajya Sabha met at 2:00 pm, the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2021, was passed through voice vote amidst din. It was passed by the Lok Sabha on February 12, 2021.
The Bill seeks to ensure that all stakeholders get an opportunity to seek unconditional stay on the enforcement of arbitral awards where the agreement or contract is “induced by fraud or corruption”.
The Lok Sabha was also adjourned twice amidst sloganeering by the Opposition benches on the three farm laws. When it resumed at 2:30 p.m., BJP’s Meenakshi Lekhi started the discussion on Demands for Grants for Railways in 2021-22.
Just as ruling party MP Ram Kirpal Yadav started speaking, Congress leader in the House Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury got up from his seat to argue that the Opposition had been demanding to raise the issue of farmers’ protests that has been going on for over 100 days now.
When Ms. Lekhi asked Mr. Yadav to continue with his speech, the Congress members started raising slogans.
In the midst of the protests, Mr. Yadav lauded the railways for being the country’s lifeline that strengthens cultural nationalism and recounted the railways’ contribution during the pandemic, including the transportation of personal protection equipment (PPE) and sanitizers.
Facing interruptions, Mr. Yadav attacked the Congress but his remarks were expunged by the Chair. When order couldn’t be restored, Ms. Lekhi adjourned the House until Monday.
Parliament wouldn’t sit for the next few days on account of festivals and the weekend.
