Cong stalls BJP bid to ‘secular’ debate in RS

The Left parties supported the Congress and its members asserted that no individual had even a right to suggest tinkering with the Constitution’s preamble. However, as the vice-chairman allowed BJP member S.S. Ahluwalia to speak on the matter, the Congress benches protested. It created noisy scenes in the House even as the octogenarian Mishra sat quietly throughout.

Suresh Pachouri, MOS, Parliamentary Affairs, quoted the statute book to suggest that such a Bill could not be even introduced without subjecting it to voting. Also he said the chair must not allow anyone other than the mover of the Bill and the member who had opposed it to speak.

When the chair directed Ahluwalia not to speak, a piquant situation arose. As the chair directed Dina Nath Mishra to put across his explanation for moving the Bill, Ahluwalia rushed to him and tried to brief the veteran leader.

Interestingly, Mishra said his intention of bringing the Bill was to focus attention of the need to re-interpret the meaning of secularism.‘‘I wanted to speak only if allowed,’’ he said. The resolution was disallowed with a massive voice vote against it.