March 3, 2015
United Opposition leaves the Govt red-faced in RS
The government on Tuesday faced an embarrassment in the Rajya Sabha when an amendment moved by the Opposition to the President’s address over corruption and black money was passed.
Sukenddu Sekhar Roy had moved amendment no. 357 in the RS to the motion of thanks, saying there was no mention in the address on the failure of government to bring back black money. Another MP from the Opposition moved a similar amendment no. 233.
The united Opposition – Congress, Samajwadi Party, JD(U), TMC, BSP, BJD, DMK, CPI, Kerala Manila Congress and other parties – came together to pass the amendment through division.
There were 118 votes in favour of the amendment while 57 against it.
Reacting to the show of Opposition unity in the Upper House, National Spokesperson and Leader of Trinamool Congress in Rajya Sabha, Derek O’Brien said, “This wondrous parliamentary democracy of ours has a mechanism to deliver strong messages to the government. Today the united Opposition did just that.”
This is the fourth time in Rajya Sabha’s history that an amendment moved by the opposition to the motion of thanks to the President’s Address has been passed.
