As the parliament’s winter session gets underway on Monday, members of the Rajya Sabha expressed concerns over the judiciary commenting on the matters of the executive and on the happenings in the Parliament.
The MPs in the Rajya Sabha leaders’ meet raised the issue with the upper house Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and said that it is for the Presiding Officers to take appropriate action if the norms of functioning are violated in the legislature and other constitutional agencies should not comment adversely in these matters, sources said.
On Sunday, a meeting was convened by the Rajya Sabha Chairman with the floor leaders of the upper house.
“I can understand your concerns. But such comments should be viewed in the context of the functioning of legislatures marked by persistent disruptions, unruly behaviour and violent actions which have deleterious effects,” the Rajya Sabha Chairman said, according to sources.
“The best way to counter them is to ensure proper functioning of the legislatures by ensuring their dignity and decorum since such comments are finding resonance with the public from what they see about the functioning of the legislatures,” the chairman added.
Chief Justice of India NV Ramanna in August had raised concern over the manner of passing bills in the parliament and had said that there is lack of clarity on the bills due to lack of debate, causing loss to government and common people.
In the meeting, many members too expressed concern about the way in which bills were bulldozed by the government in the midst of the din and without any parliamentary scrutiny or discussion.
It is expected to be a heated session on Monday in the Upper House as the winter session of the Parliament gets underway from next week. During the last monsoon session, there were heated exchanges in the upper house and later few MPs were suspended.
However, members told the chairman that hopefully the ugly scenes of the monsoon session of parliament would not get repeated in the upcoming winter session. The leaders said that it was the prerogative of the chair to make sure that the dignity of the house was not violated.
The MPs raised issues that they would bring up for discussion in the house including bringing a law for guaranteeing MSP, concern over rising prices of petrol, diesel and vegetables.
Some members also raised the issue of Lakhimpur Kheri violence and the deployment of BSF In border states. Opposition parties also wanted the government to come clean on why an ordinance was brought to extend the term of ED and CBI chiefs. The Opposition also wants a discussion on Pegasus software leak.
Members across the parties were concerned with the kind of disruption that was seen in the monsoon session of Parliament with about 70 percent of the time taken up by disruption. The Rajya Sabha Chairman requested the government and members of the opposition to establish regular dialogue and discussion to ensure smooth running of the house.
Close to 40 leaders across political parties attended this meeting at the Up-Rashtrapati Niwas. In the meeting, Parliamentary affairs Minister gave a brief to the members of the legislative business that has been listed for passage and also assured the members that all the concerns will be taken into account and the government is willing to discuss and debate each and every issue.
Leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge spoke largely largely on behalf of the opposition about the issues that they would like to be taken up on priority.
Apart from Naidu, vice chairman Harivansh, Parliamentary affairs Minister of state V Muralidharan, Nirmala Sitharaman, Hardeep Puri and leaders from the opposition parties were present in this meeting.
Several notices for adjournment motion have already been given by members of Parliament in the Upper house on Monday. Aam Aadmi Party member Sanjay Singh demands a discussion on MSP for farmers whereas CPIM Demand a detail discussion on why the term of CBI and ED directors have been increased.
Read all the Latest India News here
Comments
0 comment