Farmers Movement Archive

Opposition parties walk out of both Houses of Parliament

Opposition parties boycotted Parliament on Tuesday, first walking out of the Rajya Sabha in the morning and later from the Lok Sabha around 4 p.m., protesting against the flawed passage of the two farm Bills in the Upper House on Sunday. Meanwhile, the eight suspended Rajya Sabha members, who had staged an all night sit-in under the Mahatma Gandhi statue inside Parliament, ended their protest. Parliament is expected to adjournsine dieon Wednesday. MPs from the Congress, the Trinamool Congress, the DMK, the TRS, the AAP, the RJD, the NCP, the CPI(M), the CPI and other smaller parties boycotted the proceedings in both Houses. However, the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Biju Janata Dal and the YSR Congress did not participate in the boycott. Though BSP MPs did walk out of the Lok Sabha, they distanced themselves from the rest of the Opposition. A senior leader said the party walked out urging the government to make legal provisions to implement the MSP. In the Rajya Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said the suspension of the MPs could be revoked if they expressed regret. However, this was not accepted by the Opposition. Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said no one was happy with what transpired in the House over the past two days. “Day before yesterday was the last straw that broke the camel’s back. Bills don’t go to the standing committee or the select committee. I don’t approve of the fight — breaking the microphones, standing on the tables. But it was the last straw,” he said.

The Hindu

2020-09-23

New Delhi