Ghulam Nabi Azad on behalf of the opposition parties put forth 4 demands and said until the govt considers these, the opposition will boycott the session.
New Delhi| The Congress and other opposition parties have boycotted the Rajya Sabha today in protest against the passing of the controversial agricultural bills in a haste. Congress MP Ghulam Nabi Azad said that till the suspension of 8 MPs is withdrawn and the concerns related to the Agriculture Bill are not addressed, the Boycott of Parliament by the opposition will continue.
In an elaborate speech, Azad commented on the drama that unfolded in the Rajya Sabha in the past two days. He also said that restrictions on time given to each MP to speak is at the centre of the problem. “The MPs’ anger mounted over several issues like bills not being sent to Standing Committees, Select Committees and less time given to speak. There was no coordination within the govt, with opposition and with the chair,” Azad said. He also asked why was there a haste to pass the bill without a vote by division on amendments and other nuances.
#RajyaSabha Opposition MPs walk-out of the house
Join suspended MPs protesting near Gandhi Statue
Demands Procurement must not happen below MSP
Govt should bring another bill under which no private player can purchase below #MSP #AgricultureBill#MonsoonSession pic.twitter.com/50x2Ys61y4
— Supriya Bhardwaj (@Supriya23bh) September 22, 2020
Also Read: “Statesman Like Conduct”: Harivansh Singh “Chai Pe Charcha” Outreach Gets Praise From PM Modi
Winding up his speech, Ghulam Nabi Azad on behalf of the opposition parties put forth 4 demands and said until the govt considers these, the opposition will boycott the session. Here are the four demands by Opposition:
- Government should bring an additional bill that specifies private players cannot procure farm produce below Govt-decided MSP.
- The MSP should be decided on the basis of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission.
- Government agencies like FCI do not buy farmers’ produce below MSP.
- Eight Opposition MPs Suspension should be revoked.
On the other hand, Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu said requested the opposition to revisit the decision of Boycott and continue the discussion in the House. He said, “Action was taken against MPs due to their behaviour. We are not against any member. I’m not happy with the suspension of MPs either. ”
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
