New Delhi: On Sunday, new political dividing lines were drawn between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition parties, which saw two key agricultural bills win Parliament’s approval amid uproar and great drama. The bone of contention between the two sides is Rajya Sabha’s vice president and the conduct of business in the Upper House on Sunday.
The problem between the two sides started after opposition parties rallied around Rajya’s vice president Sabha Harivansh, who was in the presidency during the discussion on the two agricultural bills on Sunday afternoon. The political fight escalated further after the bills were passed, as opposition protest continued and 12 parties came together to issue a censure notice against Harivansh.
“What happened today in Rajya Sabha was shameful. While it is the responsibility of the treasury banks to run the Chamber smoothly, the onus also falls on the opposition to ensure the same. It is not a healthy democratic practice to cheat farmers for small political gains, “Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said during a news conference Sunday night.
Speaking to reporters, Singh also noted that there was a deliberate attempt by opposition parties to mislead farmers about the bill and especially the issue of the minimum support price (MSP). Some of the farmer groups have claimed that the bills were an attempt to take down the MSP, but the union government has tried to reassure the farmer groups and has categorically stated that the MSP will not stop.
“The conduct of some deputies against the vice president is reprehensible. It has not only tarnished his reputation, but also that of parliamentary practices. The opposition parties deliberately try to mislead farmers. These bills will allow farmers to sell their crops anywhere in the country. I am also a farmer and I cannot think that this government would do something that is against the farmers, “Singh added.
Minutes after Singh’s press conference together with key union ministers, Congress held a press conference with its top Rajya Sabha leaders, where they said that the union government should not defend the vice president’s conduct. “We do not understand why this rush, why they are crushing these laws against farmers without patience … Without making sense of the House, the vice president went ahead with the approval of the bill. The people who had tabled resolutions got angry and that’s understandable, “Congress leader KC Venugopal told reporters.
He added that BJP leaders could be seen “whispering” to the vice president: “What conspiracy was going on? In parliamentary democracy, the government has the way but the opposition has the floor. The press conference of the union minister, they are justifying the vice president’s action, he should have condemned the practice, “he added.
However, problems are growing for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the alliance partners have repeatedly expressed concern over the agricultural bills passed on Sunday. The problem that started with the resignation of former union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is now heading towards the coalition government in Haryana, where the BJP is in alliance with the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP).
“The end of the minimum support price system (MSP) is not mentioned in the agricultural bills approved by Parliament. I will leave my post the day there is any danger to the MSP system, “Haryana Senior Deputy Minister Dushyant Chautala said while speaking to reporters.
The BJP alliance partners have also asked President Ram Nath Kovind to step in and not sign the two bills. Top SAD leaders have demanded that the bills be returned to Parliament for reconsideration.
Urging the President of India not to sign the agricultural bills and return them to Parliament for reconsideration. Please intervene on behalf of the farmers, workers, arhtiyas, mandi labor and dalits, or they will never forgive us. Democracy means consensus, not oppression. A sad day for democracy if it leads to ‘annadata’ starving or sleeping on the roads, “tweeted Sukhbir Singh Badal, former Punjab chief minister and leader of Shirmani Akali Dal (SAD).
According to a press report from the Press Trust of India, the scenes in Rajya Sabha included members of the opposition charging towards the presiding officer’s podium, throwing the rule book at him, tearing official papers and booing him over his demand for a division. votes on his motion to refer the legislation to a select committee.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who has been at the forefront of the indictment against the agricultural bills, said on Sunday that his government will bring the BJP and its allies, including SAD, to court over the laws. “unconstitutional, undemocratic and anti-farmer”. from the center.
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