September 14, 2020
Derek O’Brien moved an amendment for Trinamool, objecting to government canceling Question Hour for the entire session
Sir, I’m moving the Amendment and please Sir, I indulge you as per Rule 233(II), if you give me 90 seconds time, to explain the objective of my Amendment. That’s all I ask of you Sir.
Sir, my Amendment basically rejects the government’s contention to cancel Zero Hour*. Zero Hour is the heart of Parliamentary democracy and is the only one hour everyday where the opposition gets a chance to question the Ministers.
Sir, we have lost 18 hours of Question Hour, there is no other place available to us to question the Ministers, and ask two Supplementary questions. History says it has never happened before for a regular Session, it has happened for two-day, three-day, four-day Sessions, but for a regular Session – Monsoon, Budget or Winter – it has only happened during the Chinese incursion of 1962 and the Emergency maybe.
Sir, if this government really wanted to make a meaningful suggestion, they should not have struck at the very heart of Parliamentary democracy, Sir. I appeal through you to this Government, as I move this motion to appeal to the conscience of this government because this is our right as an opposition to ask questions.
Thank you, Sir.
*Sir, with your permission, I’d like to clarify, I said Zero Hour. But I meant Question Hour, one hour of Question Hour – that was a slip of the tongue because I’m not used to sitting and speaking.
