Opposition parties boycott Rajya Sabha until three demands are met

Opposition parties have decided to boycott the ongoing Rajya Sabha session until demands, including revoking the suspension of eight members of parliament, are met with, leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said on September 22.

“We will boycott Parliament session until the government accepts our three demands,” Azad, the Congress MP, said before the Opposition party members staged a walk-out in the Rajya Sabha during on the ninth day of Monsoon Session on Tuesday.

“We demand that the government brings another bill under which no private player can purchase below MSP. MSP to be fixed under formula recommended by Swaminathan Commission and government agencies like FCI shouldn't buy crops below MSP. The suspension of eight MPs should be revoked,” Azad said.

The eight suspended members, however, walked out of the lawns of the parliament complex after the walk-out. They spent the night. They were suspended for their “misconduct” with Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson Harivansh during the discussions on farm bills on Sunday.

“I am a senior Member of Parliament, I have apologised for what happened in the House, but I didn't get any response. I found this very insulting. My party has decided to boycott the entire session,” said Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav.

Sanjay Singh of the AAP, Rajeev Satav, Syed Naseer Hussain and Ripun Bora of the Congress, KK Ragesh and Elamaram Kareem of the CPI (M), Derek O'Brien and Dola Sen of AITC, are the suspended MPs. They snubbed Harivansh who offered them tea before the beginning of proceedings in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday morning. Later Harivansh said he will observe a one-day fast to protest against the “unruly” behaviour of the Opposition MPs.

Former PM HD Deve Gowda in Rajya Sabha urged the government to let the house function by coming to an understanding with the Opposition leaders.

"The government should come to an understanding. Both the Opposition and the government should sit together to help run the House. Democracy should work with cooperation," he said in Rajya Sabha

Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said the action was against "the conduct, not the person"

“Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha wrote to me expressing his commitment to democracy and how he was treated. He said in order to arouse the conscience of the people, he wanted to observe one-day fast. This is the Gandhian way,” he said adding that the suspended MPs have instead of regretting, been justifying their conduct.

The government said it was now willing to run the business in Rajya Sabha with Opposition but for the conduct of MPs.

“Is it not painful what happened in the Upper House? Is it a way to behave? If they express their regret, the government is not bent upon to run the business without them. We are ready to hold a discussion as we are on a strong footing,” said, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi

The Upper House witnessed unruly scenes on Sunday evening after Opposition members alleged that the due process of allowing a detailed discussion on the farm bills was not followed in the House. A ruckus erupted soon after the deputy chairman put the bills to vote amid demands of detailed discussion form the Opposition members who also wanted the bills to be scrutinised by a select committee of the Parliament.

The two bills were eventually passed through a voice vote even as some Opposition members rushed into the well, shouting slogans against the government accusing it of being anti-farmer.

The Opposition parties and farmers’ organisations have criticised the government for rushing through the process of passing the bills without a proper debate, scrutiny and consultation. Farmers are protesting over the bills in Punjab and Haryana. BJP’s oldest ally in Punjab, Shriomani Akali Dal registered its protest against the farm bills with its leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal quitting as a cabinet minister in Modi government.

The two bills -the Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 - passed by both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will now go to the President for his assent before they are notified as laws. The third farm bill-- Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 has not come up in Rajya Sabha yet.

Eighteen Opposition parties wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind, urging  him not to sign the farm bills. The Congress has announced the party will launch a nationwide agitation from September 24 against the ordinances.