Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The final stretch of Parliament’s Monsoon Session saw the government and Opposition trade offers, counter-offers and political barbs, with a proposed 24-hour discussion on the July 20 incident failing to break the deadlock.
The government offered an extended debate on the violence surrounding the students’ protest on July 20, with Home Minister Amit Shah saying he was ready to speak, listen to the Opposition and answer its questions.
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The Opposition, however, wanted a more specific answer.
Rahul Gandhi said the Opposition did not want a lengthy speech from the Home Minister. It wanted to know one thing: Who ordered the firing of pellet guns on the protesting students?
That effectively kept the July 20 issue unresolved.
AMIT SHAH OFFERS 24-HOUR DEBATE
The Home Minister said he had been coming to Parliament and sitting in his chamber while the Opposition was preventing the Houses from functioning.
He said the government was ready for a discussion if the Opposition gave the Speaker a letter by 3 pm. The proposed discussion could run from 3 pm that day to 3 pm the following day, he said.
Shah also used the Opposition’s recent “laapata” and “bhaag gaye” rhetoric to challenge it to let the public decide who was actually avoiding a debate. His message was that the government had nothing to hide and was ready to respond if Parliament was allowed to function.
Rahul Gandhi, however, rejected the broader proposition. He said the Opposition wanted an answer to a specific question about the July 20 incident rather than an extended speech.
FCRA BILL BECOMES THE NEXT FLASHPOINT
As the dispute over the July 20 incident remained unresolved, Parliament turned to the contentious Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, or FCRA, Bill.
The government moved to refer the Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee. Interestingly, referring the legislation to a JPC had also been demanded by sections of the Opposition.
The Home Minister’s name was listed for moving the motion, but Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai moved it when the House took up the matter at around 2.18 pm.
As Rai finished speaking, Congress leader KC Venugopal called for the Bill to be withdrawn.
Venugopal argued that the legislation targeted minorities and NGOs. He also accused the government of applying a double standard by scrutinising foreign donations received by NGOs while pointing to foreign contributions received by the RSS.
RIJIJU CHALLENGES OPPOSITION TO NAME A CLAUSE
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju rejected the Opposition’s objections and pointed out that Congress had itself demanded that the Bill be referred to a JPC.
Rijiju challenged the Opposition to identify a provision in the Bill that was against minorities.
“Show me one clause,” he said, questioning the basis of the Opposition’s allegation.
He argued that objections to the legislation could be examined by the JPC and accused the Opposition of creating a political controversy around the Bill.
Rijiju also said the government was ready to respond to the Opposition’s concerns if the House was allowed to function.
AKHILESH JOINS THE DEBATE
At around 2.30 pm, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav intervened in the exchange.
Yadav said he had expected the promised discussion at 3 pm and questioned Rijiju over the government’s position on minorities.
“I thought there would be a debate at 3 pm. But I don’t see anyone here. Kiren Rijiju ji, tell us, which bill have you brought without mentioning minorities?” he said.
At 2:32pm, Rijiju responded by asking the Opposition to identify even one clause in the Bill that was against minorities. “Show me even one clause that is against minorities. First read the bill,” he said.
The exchange reflected the broader political divide over the legislation, with the Opposition questioning its implications for NGOs and minorities and the government insisting that its provisions should first be examined by the parliamentary committee.
FCRA BILL SENT TO JPC
At around 2.34 pm, the FCRA Bill was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee through a voice vote.
The committee will have 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. Lok Sabha members will be nominated by Speaker Om Birla, while Rajya Sabha members will be nominated by Chairman C P Radhakrishnan. The committee has been asked to submit its report to the Lok Sabha by the last day of the first week of the Winter Session this year.
The referral created an unusual political situation. The Opposition had demanded a JPC, but once the government agreed to send the Bill to the committee, Congress called for the legislation to be withdrawn instead.
A DAY OF OFFERS AND COUNTER-OFFERS
The day’s proceedings captured the political dynamics of the Monsoon Session. The government offered a lengthy discussion on the July 20 incident. The Opposition insisted that the Home Minister answer a specific question instead.
The FCRA Bill then became the next flashpoint, with the government sending it to a JPC and the Opposition questioning its provisions.
In the end, Parliament got a committee to examine the FCRA legislation, but the political deadlock over the July 20 incident remained.
One side wanted Parliament to function and offered a debate. The other wanted a specific answer before entering a broader discussion.
The result was another day of political confrontation in the final stretch of the Monsoon Session.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
