Both Houses of Parliament adjourned for day over demonetisation issue
The Lok Sabha could not function today as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan rejected notices for an adjournment motion, prompting Opposition members to rush to the well and shout slogans.
Earlier, the House was adjourned for 20 minutes.
Both Houses of Parliament was off to a stuttered start on Tuesday as protests by opposition parties continued to disrupt proceedings on day five of the winter session.
Safe to say, the morning’s shortlived debate on the notes ban in Rajya Sabha was what caused Modi to call this meeting. “They do not want a discussion here”, he said.
“This move will weaken and erode the people’s confidence in our currency and banking system”, he said, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi sitting in the treasury benches.
The Congress formed a human chain on Wednesday as a mark of protest in Parliament and called for a Jan Aakrosh Divas on November 28.
When the House met at noon after an adjourment, opposition members, including from the Congress, Trinamool, and the Samajwadi Party, trooped towards the Speaker’s podium shouting slogans.
The distress of the common citizen has driven the Opposition parties to unite insofar as protests and demonstrations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes.
Kurien eventually expressed his helplessness, saying he could ask the government to ensure the presence of any minister, but not the prime minister.
“With just one decision, you destroyed the entire country”.
When some TMC members tried to come near HRD minister Prakash Javadekar who was replying a question related to his Ministry with banners reading “Financial Emergency”, Mahajan told the opposition that she would tell the Lok Sabha TV authorities to show them on TV and then they wouldn’t need to disturb the minister.
Meghwal said that despite the heavy criticism from the opposition, the ruling party stands firmly by its demonetisation drive and added that further improvements will be made in this regard but there is no question of rolling it back.
Speaker refusing to give us debate; Question is not whether PM sits there, question is are we being allowed to speak? Amidst reports of deepening chaos in Uttar Pradesh Mayawati has been supported by the other Opposition leaders, with all raising the demand for direct intervention by the Prime Minister. “The Government is scared to allow us to speak”, Rahul said. The Rajya Sabha failed to transact any business for 5th straight day, as Opposition MPs continued to frustrate the Chair’s attempts to go ahead with the pending debate on demonetisation.
Since November 17, opposition members in the Lok Sabha have been insisting on a debate under an adjournment motion, that entails voting after the debate.
The House was adjourned till 12 noon.