Amid uproar from the Opposition and the demand for a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day after briefly conducting business Friday.
Pointing to the rules, Deputy Chairman Harivansh urged members to “strictly adhere to well-established customs and etiquette to be observed in the Council and respect each other’s privilege to speak on the floor when permitted by the Chair.”
“Yesterday, it was unfortunately observed that some members, while not being in their designated seats, were attempting to disturb the Speaker,” he said.
The session began with the swearing-in of members from Tamil Nadu. Actor-politician Kamal Haasan of the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), which is an ally of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu, took oath as a Rajya Sabha member, marking his debut in the House. Three DMK members from Tamil Nadu also took the oath – S R Sivalingam, Rajathi S, and P Wilson. All of them took the oath in Tamil.
Later, Deputy Chairman Harivansh said he received 28 notices under Rule 267. Notices under this rule ask to suspend all listed business and discuss an important issue that the country is facing.
Notices by MPs, including Akhilesh Prasad Singh, A A Rahim, Saket Gokhale, Sushmita Dev, Jebi Mather Hisham, Tiruchi Siva, John Brittas, and Manoj Kumar Jha demanded discussion on the concerns arising from the SIR of electoral rolls undertaken by the Election Commission in Bihar. Other notices from Opposition MPs under Rule 267 called for discussions on the alleged discrimination of Bengali migrant workers in other states, restoration of constitutional democracy in Manipur, and India’s trade deal with the UK and the US.
Declining the notices, the Deputy Chairman pointed to “detailed rulings on Rule 267 imparted by the Chair” in December 2022. This prompted an uproar from the Opposition. The Rajya Sabha has previously seen showdowns between Opposition members and former Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar over declining of notices under Rule 267.
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When the House reconvened at 12 pm with Ghanshyam Tiwari in the Chair, Question Hour began amid sloganeering from Opposition members.
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was responding to a question, appealed to the Chair and Opposition members to let him respond to a question on his ministry. “This House is the temple of democracy. The soul of democracy is dialogue and discussion. I would like to respond to the questions,” he said.
With continuing sloganeering from the Opposition, the House was adjourned for the day, and is set to meet again on Monday.
