New Delhi, November 21 : An unrelenting opposition vociferously attacked the government over the demonetisation move in Parliament on Monday, leading to repeated adjournments in both houses and hitting the scheduled business of the day.
Both the Houses also paid condolences to the people who died in Sunday’s horrific train accident near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
The opposition, including the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), resorted to provocative sloganeering, calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “chor” (thief) in both the Houses, resulting in repeated adjournments.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned twice in the pre-noon session and then finally for the day at 2 p.m.
The Rajya Sabha saw four adjournments in the pre-noon session as the opposition members, including the Congress and CPI-M, demanded obituary reference for the several people who have died in bank queues in the wake of demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, and also demanded the presence of Prime Minister Modi in the House.
In the Lok Sabha, the Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill and the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill were introduced.
When the House met in the morning, Trinamool Congress (TMC) member Sudip Bandopadhyay urged the Speaker to allow an adjournment motion for discussion on the demonetisation move, announced by the government on November 8 -- but she did not allow it.
The TMC and Congress members then rushed towards the Speaker’s podium and began shouting slogans against the government.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.N. Ananth Kumar requested the agitated members to allow the House to run, but they did not relent.
Kumar said the government is ready for debate on any issue, including the “inconveniences” caused to the people due to the recent demonetisation move.
“Let there be a debate. We in the government are ready to reply to all your queries,” Kumar told the slogan-shouting members.
As the Question Hour was going on, Opposition members shouted slogans like “Gali Gali me shor hai, Modi sarkar chor hai” (people are saying the Modi government is corrupt).
In the Rajya Sabha, the government accused the opposition of running away from discussion as the opposition MPs demanded obituary reference for people who died in the wake of demonetisation.
“We are with the government in paying condolences to the victims of the tragic train accident. But the 70 people who have died since demonetisation are also our countrymen,” Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said, supporting CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury’s and BSP leader Mayawati’s demand for obituary reference for them.
“Around 70 people have died, including 11 bank employees...First this House should pay condolences to the dead (before discussion on demonetisation),” Yechury said.
Leader of the House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley accused the opposition of deliberately stalling the House.
Later, as the House met for the fourth time at 12.30 p.m, the opposition members again created ruckus. To this, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Nazqvi said the opposition was creating an impression that it was in favour of black money.
“The mood and atmosphere in the country is against black money and in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi (over demonetisation) and the revolution he has brought against black money. Why are you (opposition) trying to scuttle that revolution?” Naqvi said.
“Why don’t you hold discussion over it,” he said amidst the pandemonium.
As the House met again at 2.00 pm, the opposition objected to MoS Railway Rajen Gohain making a statement over Sunday’s train accident.
“This House is not being given due importance. He (Gohain) is not a Cabinet minister. The (Railway) Minister is not busy,” Congress leader Anand Sharma said, adding that Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu should have come to the House to make the statement.
“Our demand is that the Prime Minister should come before this House,” Sharma said.
“Gali gali me shor hai, Narendra Modi chor hai (It is a public outcry, Narendra Modi is a thief),” the opposition members shouted as they gathered near the Chairman’s podium.
The Rajya Sabha was later adjourned for the day at 3 p.m. soon after it met after the fifth adjournment.
