From the gallery

Naresh Agrawal of SP says shifting Question Hour from 11 am to noon is not going to help smooth functioning at all.

Naresh Agrawal, Samajwadi Party

FROM THE CHAIR
You cannot talk on the same thing twice. How did this topic return if you had already raised it yesterday? This means your yesterday’s notice has come to me again today. Please be careful about what notice reaches my office from you.

SUMITRA MAHAJAN,
Lok Sabha Speaker, to A P Jithender Reddy (TRS), after he raised the issue of schools in Mahabubnagar during Zero Hour, even though the notice that had reached the Speaker’s office was about national highways, on which Reddy had already spoken.
Yes, incidents of cancer are increasing in the country because of lifestyle change.

P J KURIEN,
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman, after Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (TMC) raised the issue of inclusion of 12 medicines in the national list of essential medicines.

Que 5: Naresh Agrawal, Samajwadi Party
On the legality of debates with the House in disorder

Why is this important?
Rajya Sabha rules say matters should be raised and discussions held when the House is in order. They are not legal if raised in the din. There are many ways in the rule book to bring the House in order. What I wanted to know was when provisions are available, aren’t debates in the din illegal?

But is it always possible to do so?
Why not? When there are clauses to bring order in the House, the Chair has to use them. Why do we have to get the proceedings disrupted? Anyway, the move to name those who were creating a ruckus is a good decision. (27 members, mostly Congress, were named for “gross disorderly conduct”.)

Will naming them in the bulletin prevent disruptions?
Its the government’s responsibility to get the House in order. Congress MPs were protesting against the change of name of the Hyderabad airport. The government should have called them for a discussion and found a solution.

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How do you think the House’s functioning can be improved?
The government or the Chairman should call an all-party meeting to discuss and find solutions.

Why are you against shifting Question Hour from 11 am to noon?
It is not going to help smooth functioning at all. If you have Question Hour at 11 am, members will raise matters but most will oblige when the Chair promises that they would get an opportunity at noon. But now, the chaos during Zero Hour (which will be at 11am) will continue, and Question Hour will be disrupted.
— LIZ MATHEW

Liz Mathew

Have been in journalism covering national politics for 23 years. Have covered six consecutive Lok Sabha elections and assembly polls in almost all the states. Currently writes on ruling BJP. Always loves to understand what's cooking in the national politics (And ventures into the act only in kitchen at home). ... Read More