INDIA bloc MPs stage walkout

New Delhi: Members of the INDIA bloc parties on Tuesday walked out of the Rajya Sabha during the Question Hour over their demand for a discussion on the Manipur issue and a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the House. When the House reconvened at noon after a brief adjournment for about 35 minutes, opposition parties continued with the sloganeering but Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar continued with the Question Hour despite the din.

The INDIA bloc parties staged a walkout at 12.30 pm.

The Rajya Sabha members were on their feet from the beginning of the Question Hour, shouting “Manipur, Manipur”.

The Congress’ chief whip Jairam Ramesh, said, “Today, too, the INDIA parties demanded the prime minister’s presence in the Rajya Sabha to make a statement on Manipur, to be followed by a discussion.” He also alleged Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge was not allowed to speak.

“All INDIA (alliance) parties walked out around 12:30 pm,” Ramesh said in a tweet later.

The Rajya Sabha was earlier adjourned till noon amid protest by the opposition members demanding a discussion on the Manipur issue in the House. Before the adjourning House proceedings around 11.25 am, Dhankhar expressed concern over repeated disruptions over demand for a discussion on the Manipur issue under Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha.

“We are becoming a subject of ridicule by the public at large,” Dhankhar observed as opposition members, on their heels, kept raising slogans demanding a statement from the prime minister on the issue. Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha rulebook allows for the suspension of the day’s business to debate on any issue suggested by a member.

The chairman had also “declined” 60 notices under Rule 267 stating they did not conform to the norms.

About the demand for the prime minister’s statement in the House, he recalled that in 2014 too a similar demand was made, but the chair then had observed that such a demand was constitutionally “ill-premised”.

“I urge members to seriously introspect and not surrender the space of dialogue, discussion and deliberation, as the same will not serve the essence of the oath the members of this august have taken,” Dhankhar said.

He said, “By our actions, we have plunged this institution… into virtual irrelevance. It does not gel with logic and rationale approach that for over last eight days the House is being disrupted over the same issue”. Dhankhar told the Rajya Sabha members that the proceedings were being disrupted despite his ruling on July 20 for a short-duration discussion on Manipur under Rule 176.

He said a discussion was initiated the previous day but it remained “inconclusive” due to continued disruption in the House.

The chairman also said he had discussions with the floor leaders of various parties on Monday and suggested that more time could be allocated for the discussion so that everyone gets a chance to express their views.

“In spite of that, discussion could not take place. We have created a situation whereby we are throwing out the baby with the bath water,” Dhankhar said.