Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar told the Opposition on Wednesday that he could not and would not order Prime Minister Narendra Modi to appear in the House since it was the PM’s right, like any other MP, to be present in the House.
The Opposition continued to press the Prime Minister to address the House regarding the violence in Manipur. The chairman said that he had received 58 notices under Rule 267 regarding the agitation and violence in Manipur. He went on to say that these notices were not accepted after a brief discussion of the issue under Rule 167 on July 20.
Rule 267 allows for the suspension of the listed business for the day to discuss an issue raised by a member. He stated that the impression that the discussion under Rule 167 would be limited to two and a half hours was incorrect, and that he had said that there would be no constraints.
The Opposition has been continuously raising slogans and demanding the Prime Minister’s presence in the House. “I had in categorical terms indicated very firmly on a proper Constitutional premise and precedent that from this chair, I will be violating my oath if I impart a directive for the presence of the Prime Minister,” the chairman said.
