New Delhi: Congress party on Monday condemned the “brazen and undemocratic manner” in which members of the Rajya Sabha were “expelled” from the House and said that the party will protest to restore the status quo.
Addressing a press conference with party colleagues at Vijay Chowk, outside Parliament House, the Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.
“I condemn this kind of expulsion of the members of Rajya Sabha in such a brazen and undemocratic manner. We will protest to restore the status quo ante of our members in Rajya Sabha,” Chowdhury said.
He said that “the country has been witnessing the outrage over the bill and the desperation of the farmers of the country. We sought division of votes and we are entitled to move a no-confidence motion against Deputy Chairman. It is within the ambit of parliament rules,” he added.
Congress General Secretary, Randeep Singh Surjewala alleged that the “Central Government has been scuttling dissent voices in and outside the parliament”.
“We are fighting for farmers’ rights. Democracy has been murdered under the Modi government. Elected democracy has become one side of autocracy. They have been scuttling dissent voices in and outside the parliament,” he said.
“The suspensions of eight MPs who were against the anti-farmers’ Bills is shameful. How is the demand for a division of votes unparliamentary? The bills brought out by the centre will destroy agriculture sector,” he added.
Congress MP Pratap Singh Bajwa said the government should have made a provision in the bill to penalise those purchasing crops at a price lower than the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
“They have not done this. They want to help capitalists. We demanded the division of votes under rule 252, but it was not fulfilled. What is the use of parliament when it is not allowed to function democratically? We will protest for the rights of farmers,” he said.
All the eight MPs who were on Monday suspended from the Upper House announced an indefinite protest in the Parliament premises.
Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu today announced the one-week suspension of Trinamool Congress’ (TMC) Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen, Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Sanjay Singh, Indian National Congress’ (INC) Rajeev Satav, Ripun Bora and Syed Nasir Hussain, CPI(M)’s KK Ragesh and Elamaram Karim for unruly behaviour with the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman yesterday during the passage of the farm bills.
Rajya Sabha witnessed unruly scenes on Sunday as Opposition members stormed the well and reached the deputy chairman’s seat to protest against 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 and passed by the Upper House through voice vote.
Both the Bills were earlier passed by Lok Sabha through voice votes.