Union HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi’s University of Allahabad Bill, 2004, created history in the Rajya Sabha as it was the first time that the ruling party lost a motion to move a Bill in the Upper House.The Opposition, which was not against the Bill, stalled it over the propriety of tabling it in the fag-end of the session when the Lok Sabha is about to be dissolved.Rajya Sabha Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat put the matter to vote, following which Joshi’s move for leave to introduce the Bill was defeated with 69 votes against and 52 in favour. Three members were absent. Terming it an ‘‘election stunt’’, Congress chief whip in the RS Pranab Mukherjee objected to the manner in which the Bill was being moved. He said nobody had a quarrel with the Bill but questioned its timing.Mukherjee wanted to know why the government had chosen this time for introducing the Bill and said ‘‘this is nothing but to take advantage’’ of the measure since it cannot be moved in the Lok Sabha and be made into an act.Senior Congress member Arjun Singh joined in to say that he too welcomed the Bill, but the timing was not right. When the Opposition wondered why it took Joshi four years to move the Bill, the Minister said that it was delayed as the Cabinet decision had come in November and due to procedural reasons could be tabled during the Winter Session.His argument that he was unaware that the Bill was to be moved in this short session, CPI(M)’s Nilotpal Basu wondered how can a Minister not know when a Bill concerning his ministry is to be moved.RJD’s Saroj Dubey and SP’s Janeshwar Mishra, former students of Allahabad University, said they welcomed the Bill but for the timing. As it harangued ‘‘what was the hurry?’’ the Opposition tasted a last victory over the NDA.
