Madam, there is one more day left before the end of the Session. A discussion could have been initiated, without any Rules. We can continue the debate today and tomorrow. I would request you to convince the govt side to start the debate on demonetisation.
Madam, what we have seen in today’s List of Business, the subject of Demonetisation has been inducted under Rule 193.
All the Opposition parties together made a fervent appeal to the government and to you, Madam, that the discussion be taken up under Adjournment Motion. If not, the Congress has placed a demand for discussion today under Rule 184.
It is my submission that I am prepared to withdraw my Notice under Rule 56 if the Chair accepts this Notice under Rule 184. Let this discussion take place and kindly don’t create pressure under the Rule 193.
They have their brute majority on the floor of the House and I don’t know why they are evading the discussion and voting. What’s wrong in it? It has never been clarified properly.
Madam, our fervent request, let the floor be properly honoured with your consent and the support of the Government.
Intervention during Zero Hour
The real question is who is running away from discussion. Ultimately discussion is not taking place. Whose responsibility is it to ensure that the House runs? There is a Government side and there is an Opposition side. They are in a position of majority; so it is up to them to see that the House runs properly, and they have a brute majority as result of which they can easily start discussion under Rule 184 – what the Congress party has submitted in consultation with others.
I have placed Adjournment Motion, Madam, but I want to withdraw if discussion starts under Rule 184 with voting. So I will request the Government to let there be normal situation in the House and let the debate start; there should be discussion with voting.
The third week of the 2016 Winter Session of Parliament saw the major Opposition parties demanding discussions on demonetisation and the presence of the Prime Minister during those debates as well.
Two major incidents were brought to the notice of the Parliament by the Trinamool Congress.
On the last day of the week, December 2, there was a furore in both Houses of Parliament over the issue of the sudden deployment of the Army in 19 places in Bengal, without discussing with the State Government.
In the Rajya Sabha, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy gave a notice under Rule 267 (suspension of business) and raised the issue, which was supported by all Opposition parties.
During the discussion, Derek O’Brien, the Leader of the Party in the Rajya Sabha, raised a Point of Order regarding the placing of selective documents by the Minister regarding the role of the Army.
Sudip Bandyopadhyay, the Leader of the Party in the Lok Sabha, raised the same issue.
A day before, on December 1, Derek O’Brien had demanded an enquiry to be instituted by the Government on the issue of the flight carrying Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee being denied immediate permission to land at Kolkata Airport, despite the pilot reporting the plane being short on fuel.
Sukhendu Sekhar Roy in the Rajya Sabha had made an important intervention after the Minister’s reply on the issue of the flight snag.
Sudip Bandyopadhyay had taken up the same issue in the Lok Sabha.
Earlier, on November 28, Sudip Bandyopadhyay had demanded the adoption of Adjournment Motion to enable discussion on demonetisation.
The next day, November 29, saw Sudip Bandyopadhyay asking for the clubbing of the discussions on demonetisation and the amendments brought in the Taxation Laws (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016, since the latter is related to demonetisation.
On the same day, Saugata Roy in the Lok Sabha demanded a full-fledged discussion on the Taxation Laws (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016, strongly criticising the Government’s decision to pass the Bill in a hasty manner.
On November 30, Derek O’Brien, demanded the presence of the Prime Minister in the Rajya Sabha during the debate on demonetisation.
Sukhendu Sekhar Roy in the Rajya Sabha gave a Notice under Rule 267, asking the Chairman to enable the House to make obituary references for the army jawans killed in clashes with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir and for the people who had died as a consequence of the implementation of demonetisation.
In the Lok Sabha, on November 30, Sudip Bandyopadhyay again pressed the Speaker to grant the Opposition’s demand for a discussion on demonetisation, followed by voting.
Later in the day, Derek O’Brien demanded the Prime Minister withdraws his remarks on the Opposition outside Parliament before the debate on demonetisation can begin.
In the Lok Sabha, Sudip Bandyopadhyay repeated his earlier demand of the discussion on demonetisation to be taken up, along with voting.
Thus ended the third week of the 2016 Winter Session, during which the Trinamool Congress once again led the Opposition chorus in Parliament.
২০১৬ সালের সংসদের শীতকালীন অধিবেশনের তৃতীয় সপ্তাহেও বিরোধীরা নোটবাতিল নিয়ে আলোচনার দাবিতে ও প্রধানমন্ত্রীর উপস্থিতিতে তর্ক করার দাবীতে সংসদ সরব রাখল।
দুটি বড় দুর্ঘটনা সংসদের নোটিশে আনল তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস।
দোসরা ডিসেম্বর তৃতীয় সপ্তাহের অন্তিম দিনে পশ্চিমবঙ্গ সরকারের সঙ্গে কোনওরকম আলোচনা না করে রাজ্যের ১৯টি স্থানে সেনাবাহিনী মোতায়েন করার জন্য সংসদের উভয় কক্ষই উত্তাল রাখেন বিরধিরা।
২৬৭ নম্বর নিয়ম অনুযায়ী রাজ্যসভায় নোটিশ দেন রাজ্যসভার সাংসদ সুখেন্দু শেখর রায়, যা সকল বিরোধীদল সমর্থন করেন।
আলোচনা চলাকালীন রাজ্যসভায় ত্রিনমুলের দলনেতা ডেরেক ও ব্রায়েন পয়েন্ট অফ অর্ডার ঘোষণা করেন যেখানে তিনি উল্লেখ করেন, সেনা মোতায়েন নিয়ে কেন্দ্রীয় মন্ত্রী কিছু বাছাই করা নথি পেশ করেছেন সংসদে।
লোকসভার দলনেতা সুদীপ বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়ও একই ব্যাপারে কথা তোলেন।
তার আগের দিন ডেরেক ও ব্রায়েন দাবি তোলেন মাননীয়া মুখ্যমন্ত্রী মমতা বান্দ্যপাধ্যায়ের বিমানচালক জ্বালানি কম থাকার কারনে বারবার বিমানবন্দরকে অনুরধ করা সত্তেও কেন তার বিমানকে নামতে দেওয়া হয়নি, সেই ব্যাপারে সরকার যাতে অনুসন্ধান করেন।
কেন্দ্রীয় মন্ত্রী এই ব্যাপারে উত্তর দেওয়ার পর সুখেন্দু শেখর রায় একটি খুব মুল্যবান কথা বলেন।
সুদীপ বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়ও একই ব্যাপারে কথা তোলেন।
২৮সে নভেম্বর সুদীপ বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায় মুলতুবি প্রস্তাব আনেন ও নোটবাতিলের ব্যাপারে আলোচনার দাবি জানান।
তার পরের দিন, ২৯সে নভেম্বর সুদীপ বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায় নোট বাতিল ও আয়করের দ্বিতীয় সংশোধনী আইনের ব্যাপারে আলোচনার দাবি করেন কারন ওই দুটি বিষয় একে অপরের সঙ্গে জড়িত।
ওইদিনেই লোকসভায় সৌগত রায় হঠকারী ভাবে সংসধনি আইন পাস করানোর তিব্র নিন্দা করেন ও বিস্তারিত আলোচনার দাবি জানান।
৩০সে নভেম্বর ডেরেক ও ব্রায়েন প্রধানমন্ত্রীর উপস্থিতিতে নোটবাতিলের অপর তর্কের দাবি তোলেন।
২৬৭ নম্বর নিয়ম মেনে রাজ্য সভায় সুখেন্দু শেখর রায়, রাজ্যসভার চেয়ারম্যানকে অনুরোধ করেন কাশ্মিরে নিহত সেনাদের সঙ্গে সঙ্গে নোটবাতিলের ফলে যারা মারা গেছেন তাদেরকেও শ্রধধা জানাতে।
৩০সে নভেম্বর লোকসভায় সুদীপ বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায় আবারও অধ্যক্ষকে দাবি জানান, নোটবাতিলের ওপর আলোচনা ও তারপর ভোটের।
ওইদিনই ডেরেক ও ব্রায়েন দাবি করেন নোট বাতিলের ওপর আলোচনা শুরু করার আগে প্রধানমন্ত্রীকে ক্ষমা চাইতে হবে সংসদের বাইরে করা বিরোধীদের ব্যাপারে তাঁর কতুক্তি নিয়ে।
লোকসভায় সুদীপ বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায় সেই একই দাবি তোলেন, নোটবাতিলের ওপর আলোচনা ও তারপর ভোটের।
এভাবেই ২০১৬ সালের সংসদের শীতকালীন অধিবেশনের তৃতীয় সপ্তাহ সেশ হল যেখানে বিরোধীদের সকলকে নেতৃত্ব দিল তৃনমূল।
Madam, yesterday, our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was coming back to Kolkata from Patna and it was 7:30 PM in the evening. The aircraft was scheduled to land in Kolkata but due to traffic, the aircraft was hovering in the sky for long 30 minutes. Then, the pilot sent a signal to the ATC that only seven minutes of flying fuel are reserved; immediate landing is very important at this juncture.
The Air Traffic Control gave the permission of landing to another aircraft which was coming from Agartala. While landing it was found that all emergency landing provisions – ambulance, fire brigades – were already present there, as if the flight was going to crash. Airport Authority of India has admitted fuel reserved was for seven minutes only.
After investigation, the truth can be found out. Is there a motive behind this? It is not an Air India flight, it is an Indigo flight. Mamata Banerjee normally flies in Indigo flights and ATC is controlled by the Central Government.
The Hon’ble Minister is here. The Hon’ble Ananth Kumar ji requested me to communicate to the Chief Minister his anxieties regarding the incident.
So, I want that the Government should rise to the occasion. The security of Mamata Banerjee, the life of Mamata Banerjee is facing some challenges which Government of India should look into with all priority.
Madam, today in the morning we wanted to say that we should make an obituary reference for the jawans who have lost their lives. It was not an attempt to hurt you through our walkout; if it has hurt you, we express our regret. But we still feel that the Government couldn’t supply you with positive information.
Madam, regarding the running of the House, it is absolutely correct that we have moved Adjournment Motion under Rule 56 and the treasury benches have want discussion under Rule 193. I am of the same opinion that there be discussion immediately. You can scrap Rule 56, you can also scrap Rule 193; you have every authority to find out the third way.
Why is the Government, in spite of a brute majority in the House with over 300 MPs, afraid for voting? That is to be clarified. We are for discussion. We will put our observation. We may shift from Rule 56 for the sake of the country, if necessary. They should also withdraw the demand for discussion under Rule 193 if necessary, but they should come to a position where you have your capacity, Madam.
You can endorse any rule, with voting. Discussion with voting is our only demand. You give consent to that and let the discussion start from tomorrow morning wholeheartedly. Let us exchange our ideas and views and come to a conclusion. We are committed against black money, we are committed to fight black money, we are committed to see that black money holders be sent to prison for life.
The Taxation Amendment Bill was introduced suddenly yesterday and we were not prepared to study it either. It was very hasty decision and it was circulated amongst us.
It has already been declared by Central Government officials that it is going to be implemented within 15th of the next month. It is already out.
Though the Bill is under consideration, it is already exposed. Then, what is the purpose of the Government? What I would propose to consider that if this Bill and the Motion for Demonetisation issue, if those two can be clubbed together for discussion.
In conversation with Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Leader of the party in Lok Sabha
1. Trinamool have been in the forefront of the movement against demonetisation. How did Mamata Banerjee react so correctly and so fast after the announcement?
Sudip Bandyopadhyay: The moment you are asking me this question, I am watching the results of three bypolls in Bengal. What a massive victory. She enjoys the support of the people. I believe, Mamata Banerjee is the only leader in the whole country who can gauge the pulse of the people.
Mamata Banerjee was the first person to raise her voice against the draconian decision of demonetisation. And now, as we can see, several Opposition parties have come together to protest on this matter of national importance.
2. More than a dozen parties are in a dharna tomorrow at Gandhi statue outside Parliament. What is the objective?
Sudip Bandyopadhyay: We want to expose the government. In the name of a good cause (curbing the use of black money) they have hastily and shoddily implemented the demonetisation of 500 and 1000 rupees notes.
The downtrodden people of the society – the farmers, the labourers, tea garden workers, jute mill workers among others – are suffering. The common people have been severely affected. It is unimaginable. People are forced to stand in queues to collect their own money from banks and ATMs.
3. You spoke in Lok Sabha today. Please update us what happened in the Lower House.
Sudip Bandyopadhyay: I categorically demanded to know why the government is not ready for a discussion on demonetisation under adjournment motion. I requested the Hon. Speaker to rise to the occasion. Even the MPs of AIADMK supported the demand for discussion under adjournment motion.
There is unequivocal support for the adjournment motion. This is on record on the floor of the House. Normally the support of 50 MPs is required for an adjournment motion. Right now, almost double the number of MPs want a discussion under adjournment motion. I fail to understand why it is not being allowed. In my long experience as a lawmaker, I have never seen this kind of a situation.
4. With due respect to the Constitutional position of Lok Sabha Speaker, we have observed that the Lok Sabha Speaker normally does not like to adjourn the House even if people are in the well. This time we noticed she is adjourning the House quite easily. Why do you think so?
Sudip Bandyopadhyay: The impression we have gathered is that the government is building pressure on the Speaker. They have a positive role to play in the House, which they have failed to do. When people are suffering and many lives have been lost, it is incumbent on the Parliament to hold a discussion. It is the responsibility of the government to see that the House runs properly.
In this situation, only Mamata Banerjee’s movement is showing us a ray of hope.
Today several Opposition leaders met and decided to hold joint protests tomorrow near the Gandhi statue outside Parliament. Our leader and Hon. Chief Minister of Bengal, Mamata Banerjee has extended her full support to these protests.
5. One last question. Opposition parties are joining the protests tomorrow. What is the message do you want to give through these protests?
Sudip Bandyopadhyay: The government must have a much broader outlook while dealing with demonetisation. We believe sustained protests will bring results. Tomorrow is just a beginning. The instruction from our leader Mamata Banerjee is that whichever political party sends us a proposal to launch a movement against demonetisation, Trinamool Congress will try to stand by them and extend all possible help and support.
Our party has submitted an Adjournment Motion. We want a discussion on that Adjournment Motion because what we feel is that demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes have caused tremendous difficulties to the poor people, to the common people. They are passing their days with huge difficulties. So, let this decision be temporarily be withdrawn to chalk out a final plan. We should all fight against black money, together.
Trinamool Congress members of Parliament (MP) today staged a demonstration in front of the entrance to the Parliament building against the issue of rising prices of edible commodities all over the country.
The party also gave notice to discuss the issue in Parliament.
Later, speaking to the press on the issue, MP and Leader of the Party in Lok Sabha, Sudip Bandopadhyay said,”All over the country, there is no control over the rising prices,” adding that “during this Monsoon Session, Trinamool Congress would play the role of a responsible Opposition in Parliament.”
আজ বাদল অধিবেশনের শুরুর দিনই সংসদ ভবনের বাইরে ধরনায় বসেন তৃণমূল সাংসদরা। মূল্যবৃদ্ধি সহ একাধিক ইস্যুতে সরব হয় তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস। অধিবেশন শুরুর আগে সংসদ ভবনের বাইরে প্ল্যাকার্ড হাতে স্লোগান দেন তৃণমূল সাংসদরা।
লোকসভার মুখ্য সচেতক সুদীপ বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায় জানান, “সারা দেশে মূল্যবৃদ্ধির ওপর কোন লাগাম নেই। চলতি অধিবেশনে তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস যোগ্য ও প্রকৃত বিরোধী দলের ভূমিকা পালন করবে”।
মূল্যবৃদ্ধি থেকে বেকারত্ব ও এফ ডি আই সব ইস্যুতেই মোদী সরকারকে চাপে ফেলতে মরিয়া তৃণমূল। মূল্যবৃদ্ধি নিয়ে আলোচনার দাবিতে ইতিমধ্যেই তাঁরা সংসদে নোটিস দিয়েছেন।
Leader of the party in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay lashed out at the BJP during a press conference held at the Trinamool Bhavan on 24 May, 2016. He condemned the language used by the BJP State President and said that he is spreading canards, thus putting a black mark in the culture of Bengal.
He pointed out that the 46 AITC MPs in both the Houses of the Parliament are free to move at their will in the capital city and the Trinamool Congress will inform the Speakers of both the Houses about the threats made by the BJP State President. He said that the President of India will also be informed about the remarks made by the BJP State leadership.
Trinamool Secretary General Partha Chatterjee said that several BJP leaders in Bengal are trying to foment trouble in the State.
গতকাল তৃণমূল ভবনে একটি সাংবাদিক সম্মেলন করেন লোকসভায় তৃণমূলের সংসদীয় দলের নেতা সুদীপ বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়। এদিন তিনি বিজেপির রাজ্য সভাপতির মন্তব্যের কড়া সমালোচনা করে বলেন, “উনি যে ভাষায় কথা বলছেন তাতে বাংলার সংস্কৃতি নষ্ট হচ্ছে, বাংলার চারদিকে উত্তেজনা ছড়াচ্ছে”।
লোকসভা ও রাজ্যসভা মিলিয়ে তৃণমূলের মোট ৪৬ জন সাংসদ রয়েছেন। তৃণমূল কংগ্রেস এই বিষয়টি লোকসভা ও রাজ্যসভার স্পিকারকে জানাবে। তিনি আরও জানান, রাষ্ট্রপতি প্রণব মুখোপাধ্যায় ফিরলে তাকেও বিষয়টি জানানো হবে এবং তিনি নিশ্চয়ই ব্যবস্থা নেবেন।
তৃণমূলের মহাসচিব পার্থ চট্টোপাধ্যায় এদিন বলেন বিজেপির কিছু নেতারা বাংলায় উত্তেজনা তৈরির চেষ্টা করছেন।
