'No PM, No House': Opposition-Government Logjam Continues

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi came in the Opposition’s direct line of fire with the members holding up the proceedings in the Rajya Sabha on the issue of conversions and communalism.

The deadlock in the House continued for the third consecutive day, with the treasury benches accusing the Opposition of holding up important business, and the Opposition leaders clear that it was the Prime Minister’s refusal to commit to a statement of assurance that was responsible for the logjam. “No PM No House” became the Opposition slogan for the day.

Senior Opposition leaders including Anand Sharma, Sitaram Yechury, Sharad Yadav, Naresh Aggarwal said that they would agree to a discussion on the communal situation only if they were assured by the government that PM Modi would be present, and would make a statement assuring the House that action would be taken against those “placing India at the edge of a cannon” outside Parliament as well.

To the Deputy Chairman’s plea that this issue could be raised during the discussion, Yechury made it clear that there would be a discussion only if the government assured the members of the PM’s presence. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley while present in the Rajya Sabha did not answer the repeated question by the Opposition members, who were categorical that a discussion was being made meaningless as the communal forces were continuing stoking fires outside.

Sharad Yadav said that there was no question of the House being peaceful while there was so much tension and unrest outside. He repeated the demand that the Prime Minister should take responsibility for the unrest outside, and make himself accountable to Parliament with a statement of assurance.

The Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2008 could not be tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday again.

Outside the House the Opposition members rejected Jaitley’s offer of an “anti-conversion law”” that the Bharatiya Janata party has raised earlier as well. Yechury and Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala made it clear separately that such a law would be ultra vires the Indian Constitution. They said that Article 25 of the Constitution and Article 153(a) of the Indian Penal Code not only guaranteed the right to convert but also had adequate safeguards against conversion by duress and inducement.

Both the Opposition and the treasury benches locked horns. Asked whether the PM would attend the discussion Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu told reporters: “Let them allow the House to function first.” The Opposition was equally adamant that the controversy had been created by the government itself. The members pointed out that the Prime Minister had made a statement on the controversial remarks of his minister of state, but despite this the “Sangh parivar is continuing with its agenda outside Parliament.” Yechury was clear that a statement of assurance from the Prime Minister was essential to convince the Opposition that the government would take action against those stoking communal tension outside Parliament.