New Delhi: Seeking to break the deadlock, Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Monday told the Lok Sabha that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak on demonetisation if the Opposition wanted, but the rival parties demanding debate with a provision for voting remained unimpressed, forcing the House to adjourn without transacting any business.
A number of Opposition leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress, Sudip Bandhopadhyay of the Trinamul and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, spoke as they pressed for acceptance of their demand for an adjournment motion, a condition not acceptable to the treasury benches which want a debate without voting.
For the eighth straight day, Opposition stalled the Parliament over demonetisation as both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha were disrupted, leading to their premature adjournment for the day. Rajya Sabha saw three adjournments between 11 am and 2 pm, before the final adjournment for the day. Lok Sabha was adjourned twice before being adjourned till Tuesday.
In the Lok Sabha, in response to the Opposition leaders’ demand for an adjournment motion, Rajnath Singh said the Prime Minister will speak on demonetisation if the Opposition wanted but the debate should take place, for which the rule will be decided by the Speaker.
Mr Singh said it was clear that nobody was questioning the government’s intentions over demonetisation or imputing any malafide. Even as he was speaking, Opposition members trooped into the Well and shouted slogans.
Amid the din, Mr Singh said the government is ready for a discussion and willing to listen to the complaints and suggestions various parties have over the execution of the demonetisation move.
“As far as the Prime Minister coming to the House is concerned, if the Opposition wants he will come and intervene,” the Home Minister said, assuring the Opposition. The decision regarding the rule under which the debate should take place is for the Speaker to make, he said.
However, as the uproar continued, Speaker adjourned the House till 2 pm. Earlier, Mr Kharge said demonetisation had harmed the economic system, the farmers, youths, labourers and women among others who are in distress.
When the Lok Sabha met again at 2 pm after adjournment, finance minister Arun Jaitley rose to introduce a Bill to amend the Income Tax Act allow authorities impose 75 per cent tax and 10 per cent penalty in case they detect undisclosed wealth deposited post demonetisation.
Members from the opposition parties, who were asking the Speaker to take up their adjournment motion on note ban, rushed to the Well raising slogans. Jaitley then introduced the Bill amid din.
The din and slogan shouting against the Government continued for another few minutes and the House was adjourned for the day, 10 minutes past 2 pm.
Meanwhile, opposition parties held a strategy meet where they decided to continue their stir in Parliament till Prime Minister Narendra Modi replies to their concerns and a JPC probe is announced in alleged leak of the decision.
However, some fissures also appeared in the opposition as the JD(U) skipped the meeting with sources saying party leader Sharad Yadav had left Delhi early on Monday morning.
The opposition parties have been divided over the ways to protest against demonetisation ever since Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee decided to march to the President against it.
