Opposition paralyses House again over Bihar rolls | India News
NEW DELHI: Proceedings of both Houses of Parliament were disrupted for the fifth consecutive day Friday as opposition kept up its demand for a discussion on SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar, despite repeated assurances from the Chair that govt was ready for all discussions.Both the Houses failed to transact Question Hour and later Zero Hour before it was adjourned for the day due to ruckus caused by protesting MPs from opposition benches who assembled in the well of the House and shouted slogans against govt.RS deputy chairman Harivansh said he received 28 notices seeking suspension of business to discuss SIR, Bengali migrant issues, and India-UK FTA. Similar notices were received in LS but not admitted by the Speaker.Opposition escalated its protest against SIR with the MPs marching from Gandhi statue to main entrance of the Parliament building, shouting slogans and seeking a roll back of SIR. The climax came when Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge led the MPs, including Dharmendra Yadav of SP and Rahul Gandhi, in tearing of the symbolic SIR in the form of a red card and dumping it in a dustbin placed in the middle of the gathering. Kharge said SIR is RSS design to rob SC/STs, OBCs, minorities and the poor of their right to vote.In LS, before adjourning the House for the day, BJP made a point with Jagdambika Pal in the Chair rebuking opposition members for not taking up matters important to their constituents. He told them that they are not serious about even taking up private members’ bills, which have the same importance as the bills brought by govt, which are discussed by members in the House. The House was finally adjourned till Monday.While Pal continued to persuade the protesting MPs to go back to their respective seats and allow discussion on the private members’ bill, Meghwal mentioned ‘The Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of Goa Bill, 2024’. A bill concerning STs should be taken up for discussion, he said, and asked: “Are they against STs?”.Pal told opposition MPs to desist from disrupting proceedings. “The Speaker has taken the initiative,” he said referring to Om Birla’s meeting with opposition members for running of the House, assuring them of taking up for discussion all issues raised by them.“The whole week has been washed out. People of the country have some expectations, but you don’t want this House to run,” Pal told the protesting MPs as he adjourned the House.
