New Delhi: Amid protests by Opposition members in the Lok Sabha over the alleged Pegasus snooping issue and three controversial agriculture laws that led to multiple adjournments of the House, the ruling benches managed to pass two important Bills — the Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020, and the National Institutes of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management Bill, 2021, which were passed by voice vote.
Interestingly, both the Bills were passed in the Lower House without any discussion as Opposition members continued to stage protests demanding a discussion on the alleged Pegasus snooping allegations and the farmers' demand for repealing the three laws passed last in August.
BJP's Sheohar MP Rama Devi, who was chairing the proceedings, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi and Minister of State Arjun Ram Meghwal urged members to return to their seats to allow a proper discussion of the Bills. As Opposition members didn't pay any heed, the Chair went ahead with the consideration and passing of the Bills.
Prior to moving the Factoring Regulation Bill, Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave a brief background on why the amendments to the Bill were being made, while Food Processing Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras just moved the Bill for consideration and passing. Sitharaman said: "The Factoring Bill was for the benefit of Medium and Small Scale Enterprises (MSME)." However, Sitharaman said that the government had accepted all the changes suggested by the Standing Committee which went into the details.
Meanwhile, proceedings in Rajya Sabha were repeatedly disrupted on Monday before being called off for the day as Opposition members protested on the alleged phone-tapping and other issues and demanded discussions on them in the House.
Soon after the House paid glowing tributes to the martyrs of the Kargil War and congratulated Mirabai Chanu for winning a silver medal in Tokyo Olympics, MPs belonging to the Congress, Trinamool Congress and other opposition parties rushed into the Well raising slogans against the government.
Amid the din, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said he has not allowed notices under Rule 267 by Opposition leaders, including from Mallikarjun Kharge and K C Venugopal (both Congress), Tiruchi Siva (DMK), TMC's Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Elamaram Kareen (CPI) and others as the issues they want to raise are being discussed in the normal course of time.
Rule 267 provides for setting aside the business of the day to take up discussion on the issue being sought to be raised.
Naidu said members are being prevented from raising issues of public importance by such conduct. He did not mention the issues the MPs wanted to raise under Rule 267.
When the House met again in the evening after five adjournments, Opposition members who were protesting in the Well returned to their seats but they disrupted the proceedings again after BJD member Sasmit Patra, in the Chair, called for discussion on the navigation Bill.