New Delhi, February 02:
After Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday did not allow notices for suspending business in the House, pointing out that the discussion on the motion of thanks to the President’s address will be taken up on Wednesday, some Opposition members staged a walkout. These members who had given the notices for suspension of business, urging the chairperson to take up the issue of farmers’ agitation, walked out of the House as soon as the Question Hour began.
Some members also raised slogans during the Question Hour. The House was adjourned for the day..
Earlier, the Opposition members had insisted that the ongoing farmers’ agitation that was a pressing matter should be taken up first.
Addressing the House, Naidu said he will not accept the notices for suspension of business as the discussion on the President’s address will first be taken up in Lok Sabha and then the Rajya Sabha. “The issue will be discussed tomorrow. the zero hour notices will be carried forward,” he said.
He also said it is incorrect to say that the farm bills were not discussed in the House. “People say there was no discussion on farm laws; it was given four hours. And the House discussed it,” he said.
Earlier, demanding a discussion on the agitation, TMC’s Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said the House could not discuss the farmers’ bills when it was before this House and everybody wants a discussion as it is a matter of national importance. He said the Opposition is not aware of what is happening between the government and the farmers’ representatives. “This House should discuss at length a matter of national importance because it concerns the annadatta of this country. Many political parties have given notices…in the Presidential address, there are so many issues but we want a discuss on a specific issue,” he said.
DMK’s T Shiva, who had also given notice for suspension of business, said that for more than two months, in the bitter cold, women and children have been sitting in protest and hundreds of farmers have died.
RJD’s Manoj Jha and CPI’s Binoy Viswam also demanded a discussion while BSP’s Satish Misra said that this is an issue that every parliamentarian wants to discuss so that a solution can be found.
CPIM MP Elaram Kareem said the government must resume water and electricity supply to the protest site; pointing out that elderly, women and children were also present there.
