What started off as suspension of eight Rajya Sabha MPs resulted in most of the Opposition parties boycotting the remaining part of the monsoon session. With the boycott, the 8 MPs who were sitting on an overnight dharna at the Gandhi statue also called off their protest and went ahead with the boycott. When the Lok Sabha convened at 3 pm, several Opposition parties led by Congress also decided to boycott the proceedings for the day to express solidarity with their Rajya Sabha brethren.
The Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, said in the House: “Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha are like twin brothers. If one is in pain, then the other has to be concerned. Our issue is related to the farm bills, we want it to be taken back. If Tomar (Agriculture Minister) agrees to take it back, we have no issue with the session continuing.” This led to protest by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi who said it’s unprecedented to discuss the issue of one House in another.
The day was full of twists and turns with Deputy Chairman Harivansh leading from the front. Much to the surprise of everyone, he landed at the Gandhi statue, where eight suspended MPs were protesting, and offered them tea and other refreshment. Though this outreach was rejected by the protesting MPs who told him that it was he who was in the wrong, it drew a lot of praise even from the Prime Minister. PM Narendra Modi tweeted, “To personally serve tea to those who attacked and insulted him a few days ago as well as those sitting on dharna shows that Harivanshji has been blessed with a humble mind and a big heart. It shows his greatness and I join people of India in congratulating him.”
When the House began, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, asked the Chairman for revoking the suspension of the 8 MPs, but the demand was rejected by M. Venkaiah Naidu. He said that this action was taken against the conduct and not the individual. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi told the House that the conduct of the MPs was all on tape and the whole world has seen it. Harivansh asked them 13 times, but they refused to budge and had the marshals not been not there, anything could have happened, he reiterated.
At this, Azad said: “We will boycott the Parliament session until the government accepts our three demands: We demand that the government brings another bill under which no private player can purchase below MSP. MSP to be fixed under a formula recommended by the SwaminathanCommission and government agencies like FCI shouldn’t buy crops below MSP. The suspension of eight MPs should be revoked.”
After the boycott of the remaining part of the monsoon session in Rajya Sabha by the Opposition, the government once deputed three Cabinet ministers to articulate the viewpoint of the government. Thavar Chand Gehlot said that he rejects all those assertions that the chair was wrong in suspending 8 MPs. “If they apologise for their mistake, then I would also request the chair to pardon them.”
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that had the marshals not been there, chances of physical violence with the Deputy Chair was very much possible. He also said that the government had the majority in the House and 110 votes were in the favour of the passage of the bill and 72 votes were against the bill and this is the reason why the Opposition indulged in this violence.
