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Continuous protest sees brief lull on women’s day

Parliament resumed its Budget Session with a week of protest. Apart from the 8 March International Women’s Day interlude when…

Continuous protest sees brief lull on women’s day

Rajya Sabha (Photo: Facebook)

Parliament resumed its Budget Session with a week of protest. Apart from the 8 March International Women’s Day interlude when the two Houses maintained peace to make references to women’s issues, particularly in the Rajya Sabha, the whole week witnessed early adjournments due to shouting and disruptions over the Nirav Modi-Punjab National Bank scam, special status for Andhra Pradesh and Cauvery water for Tamil Nadu.

There was nothing unexpected about these issues, which had come up during the recess of the Session. What was surprising was the Government and the Opposition had not reached any understanding on how to deal with them and hold debates. So, the two sides simply shouted at each other, the Opposition moving into the wells of the Houses, and the presiding officers forced to adjourn the proceedings. The agenda of discussing the budgets and performance of important Ministries was put off.

In the Lok Sabha, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, on more than one occasion rejected the adjournment motion notices given by the Congress Party on the bank scam, while Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar suggested discussion on the issue under different rules.

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In the Rajya Sabha, the Congress had given notices under Rule 267 for suspension of the business of the House on Monday for discussing the Nirav Modi scam. Apparently to counter the notices from the Congress Party and the Trinamul Congress on the scam, a BJP member, Dr Vinay P. Sahasrabuddhe, too had given a notice under Rule 267 for suspension of the business to discuss “corrupt practices indulged by the relatives of the former Ministers”. The BJP member’s notice under Rule 267 had given “the name of a person who is involved in some alleged scams”.

The notice was surprising as normally suspension of the business under Rule 267 is not sought by members from the Treasury Benches. The Chairman rejected all Rule 267 notices, stating however the issues were important and could be discussed under other sections.

The offer was of no avail as the House did not have order due to members crowding all around the officials’ table in the Well of the House.

The scene was repeated in both Houses till Friday. On 8 March, the Speaker referred to the International Women’s Day and said the theme this year was “Time is now: Rural and Urban activists transforming women’s lives.” Man and woman were like two wings of a bird and both had to be strong for the bird to fly high, she said. Aware the Lok Sabha could go back to disorder over other issues, the Speaker sought the members’ silence to read out a few lines she had composed to express her feelings on the women’s plight.

The Rajya Sabha had an hour-long discussion on women’s issues after the Chairman’s reference, and there were repeated demands for the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill to give women 33 per cent reservation of seats in Parliament and State Assemblies. Viplove Thakur (Congress) and Satish Chandra Mishra (Bahujan Samaj Party) suggested that the Panel of

Vice-Chairmen, who preside over the House proceedings in the absence of the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman, should have a woman member.

The very next day, the Chairman nominated Kahkashan Perween (Janata

Dal-U), representing Bihar, to the Panel of Vice-Chairmen with effect from 3 April, in place of Basawaraj Patil (BJP), whose term is expiring on 2 April. Twenty-seven members including Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, besides Ministers Sushma Swaraj and Vijay Goel, gave meaningful speeches. Ambika Soni said awaiting the women’s reservation Bill, Parliament should at least adopt a resolution expressing commitment to make the reservation law.

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