July 25, 2019
Derek O’Brien raises a Point of Order on the simultaneous introduction of Amendments and Bills
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Sir, page 814 of Rajya Sabha at Work says, ‘a list of business for the day shall be prepared by the Secretary General and a copy thereof shall be made available for the use of every member’, Clauses 1,2,3,4, Sir.
Sir, I would humbly request you to also refer to page 814-815 of Rajya Sabha at Work. Till 1963, there were rules here of same day notice for a discussion and there were one or two alternatives. But from 1963, the learned Members from the Draft Rules Committee suggested to the Chairman to incorporate something called a ‘Short Duration Discussion’ which later got listed under Rule 176.
This has been a precedent without any break through the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, under the NDA, UPA and all other governments, that at least one Short Duration Discussion is taken up every week. What has happened is that it has not happened every week; three have happened in a month, one week may have got lost. This is the convention.
Now Sir, the situation is that today is Day 27 of the session. Normally the Short Duration as we all know is taken up either on Monday or Tuesday or, Wednesday-Thursday. What has happened is that the only two Short Duration Discussions have been taken up during this session, only two! This week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday is legislation. Legislation, legislation, legislation.
My limited point is, whereas we respect the Lok Sabha election verdict, we respect that this is the Government, you must also respect our role as the Opposition. You protect us.
Sir, it was on the list of business day before yesterday. The day before yesterday, a Short Duration Discussion on the Ministry of MSME was listed. It has now vanished and this has come. Sir, we seek your protection.
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Since you are not allowing me to speak, I can try sign language which I am not very good at. Al teast it will give me a chance to communicate with people.
On a serious note, Sir, you need to give me one minute of time as I am moving an Amendment. Sir you need to give me time to explain what my Motion is.
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Sir, I humbly ask you to look at rule number 130. I am glad this is happening because today we get to see in Rajya Sabha who knows what they are talking about and who is trying to bulldoze legislation.
Rule number 130 states, ‘After the amended Bill has been laid on the Table, any Minister in the case of a Government Bill, or in any other case, any Member after giving two day’s notice, or with the consent of the Chairman without notice, may move that the Amendments be taken into consideration.’ This rule gives me the right to move and allow me to speak.
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Sir, firstly let me assert this is the Council of States. For the past 27 days we have seen every rule being rewritten and rules being thrown away in the dustbin. The reason I am moving the Amendment is, the Parliament has to scrutinise the Bills, we need to study the Bills. The public needs to hear, and so I move my Motion.
