Goyal hits back at Opp: Don’t politicise

Piloting the Bill, Cooperation Minister Amit Shah said provisions in the Bill will initiate a new era for the sector, which has been ignored by the previous governments. The Bill was later approved by voice vote amid din after a short discussion in which only three members participated..

Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice, before being adjourned for the day. Opposition demands were consistently countered by demands from the Treasury benches for discussions on crimes against women in other states, especially in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh — both poll-bound and both governed by the Congress.

In the morning, proceedings began with Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar announcing that he had received 51 notices under rule 267 for suspension of Question Hour in favour of discussions on Manipur, and three notices under rule 176, which entails short discussion, for discussions on crime against women in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Dhankhar accepted that TMC’s Derek O’Brien was “right” in noting that rule 267 has precedence over rule 176. Amid slogans from Opposition benches, Leader of the House Piyush Goyal said the government is ready for discussions on both issues — on Manipur as well as crime against women.

“Crime against women, disrespect of women and children in any part of the country is of grave concern. There must be discussions. Don’t politicise it,” he said.

Addressing Dhankhar, former Home Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said, “In your opening remarks you said rule 267 will take precedence over every other rule…. You received 51 fresh motions under 267 today. How can you rule that out and start discussions on 176, which are older motions? The discussions on 267 must take place today.’’

Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said, “When so many people, so many representatives are giving notices under rule 267 for so many days, why are discussions not being held? This is not the first time this has happened in the House. In 2016, the government accepted rule 267 and allowed discussions.”

Goyal, who made several interventions through the day, said: “If you had any sympathy for women, you would allow this discussion,” the Union minister said, addressing the Opposition benches on several occasions. “The Home Minister has already assured that a discussion on Manipur will take place. When he addresses the House, doodh ka doodh, paani ka paani ho jayega (things will be clear).”

Raising a point of order under rule 238 (4), RJD’s Manoj Jha said, “The Leader of the House keeps repeating that Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan be discussed, but this is not the same as discussing Manipur. There is no genocidal impact in these states, but here (in Manipur) there is genocidal intent.”

Pointing to a precedent on rule 267, AAP’s Raghav Chaddha said that on August 17, 2012, when there was a demand in Rajya Sabha for suspension of business to discuss the issue of “migrants from the Northeast in various parts of the country and what they were facing, Question Hour was suspended. Those attacks were far lesser in magnitude than what is happening in Manipur now.”

PTI inputs