Opposition thwarts debate bid via Telengana Rashtra Samiti in Lok Sabha

NEW DELHI: The government’s attempt to sneak through a debate amid disruptions came unstuck as the Opposition stuck to its guns and thwarted different tactics the ruling side employed in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Monday.

In the Lok Sabha, the government’s attempt to start a debate on the currency replacement drive under Rule 193, which does not entail voting, by fielding an MP belonging to the Telangana Rashtra Samiti — which maintains equidistance from Congress and BJP — did not succeed following vociferous protests from Congress and Trinamool Congress MPs.

In the Rajya Sabha, the entire Opposition raked up non-payment of salaries because of cash crunch to thwart the government’s attempt to break through the logjam by taking up discussion on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill. The tactic to leverage a noncontroversial bill to break the logjam could not make much headway as the Opposition disruptions made sure no government business was transacted.

With more than half of the winter session lost to disruptions, the government singled out the Congress and Trinamool Congress for the current logjam. “It is now competitive obstructionism between the Congress and the Trinamool that is holding up the debate in Parliament,” Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in a tweet.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said: “I request Congress and Trinamool Congress not to scuttle parliamentary discussion on demonetisation. Disruption cannot be a parliamentary strategy.”