JOIN USIn his notice in Rajya Sabha on Thursday, deputy leader of Opposition Anand Sharma omitted his party’s main demand that External Affairs Minister Shushma Swaraj and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan resign before any debate is held in the House. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley displayed the notice and urged the chair to admit the motion and initiate debate on the issue immediately.
It led to another controversy when CPM leader Sitaram Yechury raised objection and asked how the notice reached the finance minister.
Displaying a copy of the notice, Arun Jaitley said “his notice today (Thursday) does not say the ministers must resign. His notice must be admitted and discussion should begin immediately”.
CPM’s Sitaram Yechury said it was a breach of parliamentary privilege if a member’s notice given to the chair finds its way to the government. Jaitley retorted by saying “Please educate yourself on procedures,” saying the secretary general of Rajya Sabha should then make “every effort to circulate it (the notice) to every member” of the House.
“Yechury’s illiteracy with regard to rules does not make a valid argument,” he said demanding an apology from the Left leader, charging him with casting aspersions on the chair.
Deputy chairman PJ Kurien said that the notice goes to parliamentary affairs.
Yechury asked, “How did it reach the finance Minister? I will move a privilege motion,” to which Kurien replied, “You can do that.”
Jaitley quoted a ruling that every notice should be circulated to the members.
The House was adjourned, leaving the matter unresolved.
Yechury raised the issue in the post-lunch sitting again and said that a notice is circulated to members only after it is accepted by the chair. Before accepting, the chair consults the parliamentary affairs minister. He insisted that this was a case of breach of privilege.
Kurien said that he will give ruling on it later and adjourned the House.