THE last week of April was dedicated to financial business in both houses. In Lok Sabha increases in the prices of essential commodities, petroleum products and fertilisers were the issue on which the Left and other opposition parties walked out for three consecutive days. There was a division on cut motions moved by the Left and other parties when a large number of demands for grants were guillotined. In the voting on finance bill on April 29, the Left parties’ amendments were defeated by voice vote. The Left and other parties registered their protest over the price increases and walked out during the voting.
On May 3, the involvement of a union minister of state, belonging to Trinamul Congress, in illegal arms deal from Bangladesh rocked the parliament; these arms were meant for use against the CPI (M) in West Bengal. However, in Lok Sabha, in order to divert attention, Trinamul MP, Sudip Bandopadhyay, abused and menacingly advanced towards the CPI (M)’s Basudeb Acharia. Demanding an apology from the MP, CPI (M) members rushed into the well of the house and shouted slogans against this hooliganism. This led to adjournment of the house.
On May 4, the CPI (M)’s deputy leader P Karunakaran sent a notice of suspension of question hour, demanding that the house reprimand the Trinamul MP. In order to maintain the sanctity of the house, the speaker reprimanded the MP for his “unbecoming” behaviour. Acharia too did not insist on an apology from Bandopadhyay. But an obstinate Bandopathyay challenged the chair to show the record of the day’s proceedings. As unparliamentary words and threats are not recorded, he only made himself a laughing stock. However, he succeeded in diverting attention from his party’s involvement in arms deal.
Raising in Rajya Sabha the issue of illegal arms purchase by a minister, Moinul Hassan, CPI (M), said one central minister had himself told a press conference that he had paid Rs 1.20 lakh through a partyman to a Bangladeshi arms dealer to buy arms. This minister and his colleagues are trying to destabilise the law and order situation in West Bengal. These arms were used in bank dacoities in Howrah district and also by the Maoists. Hassan insisted on an inquiry into the taped conversation between the minister and the arms dealer as it concerns national security. Demanding stern punishments for those purchasing arms from across the border, he asked the government to come out with a statement on this issue.
The railway minister’s absence from the house also created hullabaloo in Lok Sabha. The entire opposition demanded the minister’s presence in the house on the issue of motormen’s strike and condemned the use of ESMA against them.
Amid pandemonium, the government passed The Employees’ State Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2009; the Payment of Gratuity Bill 2010 and the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Bill 2010 within minutes, without discussion.
On May 5, Lok Sabha witnessed eyeball to eyeball confrontation between Ananth Kumar (BJP) and Lalu Prasad (RJD). During the discussion on the parameters of conducting the census 2011, Ananth Kumar accused the RJD leader of being “a traitor to the country,” alleging that Lalu was sympathetic to illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. With this, all hell broke loose as RJD and SP members rushed down the aisle, protesting furiously and demanding an apology from Kumar. In a sharp rejoinder to Kumar’s remarks, SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav accused the BJP of having a “poor track record” of patriotism. BJP leader Susma Swaraj apologised on Kumar’s behalf.
Source: People’s Democracy dated 16-05-2010
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