New Delhi:
Rajya Sabha, Speaker and Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar said today that disruptions to proceedings in the House were not good signals and that he has asked certain MPs to see him in his chamber because of last week’s disruptions.
Mr Dhankar rejected reports asking for a discussion of the Chinese incursion on India’s borders, saying they had not been drafted in accordance with the rules, leading to almost all of the opposition leaving the House.
Leader of the Opposition and Congress Chairman Mallikarjun Kharge said the chairman has all the powers and can allow a discussion, but Dhankar was not impressed.
When the House met today, the Speaker said he had received 9 notices under Rule 267 calling for the suspension of listed activities and the initiation of discussion or debate on the matter stated therein.
Without disclosing the contents or movers of the messages, Mr Dhankar said he cannot pay attention to a message that is “flawed” or that “unfortunately does not meet the minimum requirement to comply”. He stated that on December 8, Mr. Dhankar laid down the methodology for giving notices under Rule 267, saying that none of the 9 notices met the requirement.
“It is a painful duty for me that not only is the rule outraged, no attention has been paid to the rule whatsoever. The notices have been drafted in a manner as if the rule does not exist. I expect members to follow the procedure indicated as a rule, go through all two essentials and then comment on them,” he said.
And it is for the same reason that Rule No. 267 Notice was accepted throughout the tenure of his predecessor M. Venkaiah Naidu, he said.
He then referred to the postponement of proceedings that forced opposition MPs on December 13, 15 and 16 to push for a discussion of the Chinese border dispute.
“I must inform you painfully that the loss of more than 100 minutes of interference on December 13, 15 and 16 did not send a good signal,” he said. was also wasted.
“This house is a unique platform. We must share the vision, passion and mission of the drafters of the Constitution,” he said.
“The generation of optics of disturbance gives us a very bad name. It generates disillusionment. It sends a signal as if those who are elected in this exalted House, to fulfill the solum duty of acting as House of Elders, the Senate, conduct itself in a manner that leaves much to be desired.” Mr Dhankhar said he will be open to any notification that complies with the rules.
“Any report that is in line with the spirit and sense of the rules will get my attention.” “The tradition of this House is that the President’s letter is running. Despite a warning, despite being reminded three times by the President of Dy, my statement was not heeded and the disruption is taking place.
“It is my painful constitutional obligation to investigate all these indiscretions. That is what I am focusing on. I have hinted to some members to see me in the chamber and I will deal with the matter,” he said.
However, he did not name the MPs.
“It is never a pleasure, never a satisfying moment to visit a member with any action. But getting away and waiving the constitutional obligation is not an option, neither with you nor with me,” he added .
He asked Parliament to rise to a level that is expected of it and not to engage in the usual rhetoric.
As opposition MPs pressed for their notifications, he said: “I have stated categorically that I cannot pay attention to a notification that is flawed. I cannot focus on a notification that woefully falls short of the minimum requirement of meeting to rules. This is not a platform for everyone to just stand up and say what they want. We have to follow the rules. Once you play by the rules, you get the platform. This is a place for dialogue, deliberation and discussion.”
Mr Kharge claimed that China has invaded Indian lands and is building bridges. And this issue was of national importance and therefore had to be discussed.
House leader and union minister Piyush Goyal countered by saying that deputy chairman Harivansh had indicated cases last week where sensitive issues were not discussed.
He then stated that in 2012 the then UPA government had informed the House that China illegally owned 38,000 square kilometers of Indian land.
Opposition parties protested and organized a strike after a short time of sloganeering.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is being published from a syndicated feed.)
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