Opposition parties submit privilege motion against leader of House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal

 Jagdeep Dhankhar says he has received 51 notices for discussion on Manipur under Rule 267 which provide for suspension of all listed business for debate

Union Minister Piyush Goyal speaks in the Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon session of Parliament in New Delhi on Tuesday.: PTI Photo

TT, New Delhi, 09.08.23 : The Opposition parties on Tuesday submitted a privilege motion against leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal for using unparliamentary words against them even as chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said such words would be expunged.

The House also witnessed a ruckus over the demand for a discussion on Manipur violence. Dhankhar said he had received 51 notices for discussion on Manipur under Rule 267 which provide for suspension of all listed business for debate. He rejected all the notices saying he had agreed to a debate under Rule 176 which provides for a short-duration discussion.

While the Opposition parties have been demanding a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi followed by a discussion, the government has agreed to a short-duration discussion. Dhankhar has said he would allow more time than two-and-a-half hours as mandated under Rule 176. However, he has rejected the request for asking the Prime Minister to make a statement.

Trinamul Congress leader Derek O’Brien wanted to raise a point of order to demand a discussion on Manipur. Dhankhar asked him to indicate the rule for raising the point of order. O’Brien replied “Rule 267” in a raised voice. Visibly annoyed, Dhankhar named O’Brien for unruly conduct and asked Goyal to move a motion to suspend him. Although Goyal moved the motion, Dhankhar adjourned the House without suspending him. It created a ruckus.

Goyal said the government was ready for discussion and the Opposition was not interested. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh reminded the government about the agreement reached between both sides four days ago for a longer discussion, not under Rule 267. It should start, he said.

Goyal used certain unparliamentary words which were picked by the Opposition benches. As the House reassembled, Congress leaders Ramesh and Digvijay Singh raised the issue of unparliamentary words used by Goyal. Dhankhar said such words be removed from the record. Goyal also agreed.

“If I have used any unparliamentary word, please expunge it,” Goyal said.

However, the Opposition parties later pressed for a privilege motion against Goyal, according to a tweet by Ramesh.

“Today at 1300 hrs, the floor leaders of INDIA parties in the Rajya Sabha submitted a privilege motion against Leader of the House Piyush Goyal,” said his tweet.

“Nothing less than an apology from him on the floor of the House, when it is in order, will do,” it added.

The privilege motions, if accepted, are referred to a committee to examine and suggest actions.

In the post-lunch session, the Opposition parties staged a walkout to protest the delay in discussion on Manipur.

Dhankhar

The INDIA coalition is discussing a possible motion against Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar but this is a step they are unlikely to take in haste.

Taking one step at a time, the leadership of the INDIA parties have arrived at a consensus to set up a six-member committee to draft the motion.

The six members are drawn from different constituent parties — Ram Gopal Yadav from Samajwadi Party, Vandana Chavan from the Nationalist Congress Party, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy from the Trinamul Congress, Jairam Ramesh from the Congress, Elamaram Kareem from the CPM and T. Siva from the DMK.

“Nothing has been finalised,’’ said one of those chosen to be on the committee, adding that it is all in the discussion stage and the Opposition will tread with caution.