Lok Sabha adjourned for day, logjam persists over demonetisation

NEW DELHI: Logjam over the demonetisation debate continued in the Lok Sabha on Monday, leading to disruptions and its adjournment for the day, with the government and opposition failing to reach an agreement over the rule for the discussion, even as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan suggested that the debate can be taken up without any rule. Officially, however, the debate was initiated under Rule 193, after Mahajan called Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leader A.P. Jithendra Reddy to start the debate at 2 p.m. On Monday, the Speaker allowed notices by Biju Janata Dal and TRS to debate demonetisation under Rule 193, which relates to the conduct of a short-duration discussion on an issue. At 2 p.m., Reddy tried to speak amid sloganeering by other opposition parties, but nothing was audible in the din. Trinamool Congress members surrounded Reddy, and made noise, even using the TRS leader's microphone. The house was then adjourned for the day amid din. Most opposition parties, including the Congress, the Trinamool, the Left parties, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Samajwadi Party and some other parties, said the debate can take place under Rule 184, moving down from their demand for debate under Rule 56, the adjournment motion. Rule 184 also entails voting like an adjournment motion. However, an adjournment motion is seen as a bid to censure the government. The first adjournment of the house came during the Question Hour, as opposition members put forward their demand for debate under Rule 184. However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.N. Ananth Kumar said the BJD and TRS had given notice to hold the debate under Rule 193 and their wish should also be respected. "Please don't take it as a prestige issue. Let's all start the debate. Let all parties come together to fight against the black money," he said. The Question Hour continued amidst sloganeering for some time, but the house was then adjourned till noon. As the house met at noon, Leader of the Congress in the house Malikarjun Kharge said they were ready for debate under Rule 184. "People are getting ill and dying. The GDP growth has slowed down, people have lost jobs. This is a serious matter. "Government has such a brutal majority that they themselves are not able to digest it. Why are they running away from vote," he said. Trinamool's Sudip Bandyopadhyay said it is the government's responsibility to ensure that the house functions and debate takes place. Reddy of the TRS said the opposition is not against the move which aims at curbing black money, but against its implementation. Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav 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 they wanted the opposition's suggestion on the problems in the implementation. "I want to assure the opposition, we will try to resolve the problems they point out at. "The decision was taken in national interest," he said, adding that the Speaker can decide the rule for the debate or whether it should be without any rule. While the opposition insisted on Rule 184, Mahajan said the debate should be started without any rule. "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," she said. The government agreed with her. However, opposition members insisted that 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. Opposition members continued to raise slogans through the day against Modi, including one asking him to stop his radio programme 'Mann ki Baat'. The Lok Sabha is witnessing a logjam between the government and the opposition over a debate on demonetisation. Opposition members have said they are not against the move but the manner of implementation, and have insisted on a debate which is followed by voting. The government has, however, said that voting will send a message that the house is divided on the issue of fighting black money, and insisted on a debate without any voting.