August 10, 2018
Derek O’Brien raises a Point of Order on the list of business for Rajya Sabha
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Sir, I want to make a Point of Order. This is your first one hour in the Chair. We welcome you, Sir, but you are the only person – who is sitting in the Chair – who can protect us. For the last half an hour I have not got protection.
I am only quoting Rule 258. Very humbly, Sir, please look at Rule 258. I am not asking for anything special; I am only asking for my right as a member. Rule 258 states, “Any Member, may at any time submit a Point of Order for the decision of the Chairman, but in doing so, shall confine himself to stating the point. The Chairman shall decide all Points of Order which may arise and his decision will be final.”
Sir, it is your right to make the decision; it is my right as a Member to raise the point. I was referring to Rule 258 (for which I have lost my voice also in the later half an hour, but no problem).
My Point of Order after 258, is to do with today’s list of business. Sir, may I humbly guide you to page 10, Rule 25 (4). I am referring to the list of business. After Zero Hour and Question Hour, today’s list of business is Private Members’ Resolutions and after that legislative business.
When we look at these rules we need to look at the rules and we also need to look at the precedents. The precedent has always been, the convention has always been that legislative business will not be taken up after 2.30 PM in the afternoon. It is nothing new. I have only been here for seven years, there are other people who have been here for 47 years, and they will know a lot. This is the list of business, Sir. Yes, there will be Zero Hour, yes there will Question Hour, yes there will be Private Members’ Resolutions.
Sir, please take the sense of the House and all the precedents in the past, bar one when the Enemy Property Bill was passed when there were three people sitting in the House. And that was not done in good taste. That is the spirit, Sir, of parliamentary democracy. This House belongs to all of us.
Sir, please consider taking up Private Members’ Resolutions only at 2.30 PM and do not allow backdoor legislative business.
Thank you.
Second Intervention
Sir, the BAC minutes, which the Deputy Leader of the Congress Party has mentioned, on the BAC minutes, there are many senior people here like Pawar Ji, and nothing of this sort was discussed. Please give us a ruling also on my Zero Hour, Sir.
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