Lok Sabha disrupted again over demonetisation debate

Government has such a brutal majority that they themselves are not able to digest it. Why are they running away from vote, said Malikarjun Kharge

New Delhi, Dec 5: Disruptions continued in the Lok Sabha on Monday as the government and opposition failed to reach an agreement over the demonetisation debate, even as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan suggested the debate can be taken up without any rule.

Opposition members, including of the Congress, Trinamool Congress, the Left parties, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Samajwadi Party and some other parties, said the debate can take place under Rule 184, moving down from their demand of debate under Rule 56, the adjournment motion.

Rule 184 entails voting as well as the adjournment motion.

As the house met at 12 noon after an adjournment, Leader of the Congress party in the house Malikarjun Kharge said they were ready for debate under Rule 184.

"We have requested repeatedly for a debate under Rule 56... but we are finding other ways. We can take up the debate under Rule 184," Kharge said.

"People are getting ill and dying. The GDP growth has slowed down, people have lost jobs. This is a serious matter," Kharge said.

"Government has such a brutal majority that they themselves are not able to digest it. Why are they running away from vote," he asked.

Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay said it is the government's responsibility to ensure the house functions and debate takes place.

A.P. Jithender Reddy of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) said the opposition is not against the move which aims at curbing black money, but against its implementation.

Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh said over 100 people have died and farmers and traders are suffering, and urged the government to take up the debate.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh then thanked the opposition for not doubting the government's intention behind the move, and said the government wanted the opposition's suggestion on the problems in the implementation.

"I want to thank the opposition... no one has expressed suspicion on the government's intention. Maybe according to their thinking the implementation is not right. I want to say, as far as the government is concerned, we are ready to discuss it right now. We want to know what are the problems in implementation," Singh said.

"I want to assure the opposition, we will try to resolve the problems they point out at," he said.

"The decision was taken in the national interest," he said, adding the Speaker can decide the rule for the debate or if it should be without any rule.

While opposition insisted on Rule 184, Mahajan said the debate should be started without any rule and problems of the common people should be discussed.

"Everyone wants to discuss the problems of the common people, so do I... There is a debate listed under 193... But I am ready to cooperate, don't fight on rules, start the discussion without any rule," Mahajan said. The government agreed with her.

However, the opposition members insisted the debate be taken up under Rule 184, and started protesting again by raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Amid the din, the Speaker continued with Zero Hour submissions, before adjourning the house around 12.50 p.m. till 2 p.m.

IANS