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Amid ruckus over Raut’s arrest, RS clears Antarctic, WMD Bills
The day’s session, however, was marked by adjournments as the Opposition raised the issue of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate.
The Rajya Sabha on Monday approved a bill to ban funding on Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) and another to allow the application of Indian laws to the country’s research stations in Antarctica. The day’s session, however, was marked by adjournments as the Opposition raised the issue of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The first Bill will amend the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005. The amendment seeks to prevent financing of prohibited activities related to nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. Union external affairs minister S Jaishankar tabled it in the Rajya Sabha on July 19.
The Bill also proposes to empower the Central government to freeze, seize or attach funds or financial assets or economic resources for preventing financing of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) and to prohibit making available funds or resources for such activities.
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The Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022 seeks to allow the application of Indian laws to the country’s research stations in Antarctica. It also aims to provide national measures to protect the Antarctic environment and associated ecosystems. The Bill will also give effect to the Antarctic Treaty, the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty.
During the passage of the Antarctic Bill, Communist Party of India(Marxist) MP John Brittas sought a division but it could not be taken up since Opposition members entered the Well of the House shouting slogans.
Unlike a voice vote where MPs collectively express their preference by voicing Ayes or Noes, in a Division, each MP’s vote on a particular motion is recorded using slips.
Bhubaneswar Kalita, who was in the chair, repeatedly urged Opposition members to return to their seats to take up Division, but had to proceed with voting and the Bill was passed by a voice vote.
Earlier, as soon as the House convened, Shiv Sena MPs trooped into the Well to raise the issue of Raut’s arrest. Rajya Sabha chairman, M Venkaiah Naidu, said the issue could not be taken up as it had nothing to do with the House.
Even before the papers could be laid, the House was adjourned at 11.01.
When the House resumed for Question Hour, Opposition MPs continued to raise slogans.
Reacting to the Opposition’s disruption, Leader of the House, Piyush Goyal said, “The Opposition had collectively assured us that once the date is finalised and it is listed, they will allow the House to run properly…I appeal to my colleagues from the Opposition to allow the House to function smoothly…We are law makers and not law breakers. Those who break the law face the consequences of the law.”
To repeated demands from Opposition MPs that the House take up the matter of Raut’s arrest, Goyal said, “The Government cannot interfere with the law enforcement agencies. They are doing their job. I would earnestly appeal to the Opposition to allow the House to run so that important legislative business is done.”
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The House will have to extend its working if not allowed to run, Goyal added.
Leader of the Opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge, said issues raised by the Opposition, for which notices were given, including price rise, the political situation in Jharkhand and Maharashtra, the Gujarat hooch tragedy and “an elected government being destabilised” have not been taken up. The House was then adjourned till 2pm.
Speaking outside the House, Union parliamentary affairs minister, Pralhad Joshi said, “In the last two weeks, 46 notices under various Rules were given to discuss issues. Today, we duly conveyed, that tomorrow (Tuesday) there will be discussion. We repeatedly requested to allow the House to function. We are ready; we have many Bills to pass.”
On the continued disruption, Goyal said, “I assured (them) that we will take up the discussion on price rise at 2pm in the Rajya Sabha. But the Opposition seems to be running away from discussion because they are concerned that we will reveal how they have not taken steps to control inflation (when they were in power).”
