Farm laws issue rocks Lok Sabha; Congress demands separate discussion

Taking an aggressive stand, Congress on Wednesday insisted on a separate discussion in the Lok Sabha on the farmers' issue and forced repeated adjournments, prompting the government to accuse the opposition of reneging on its assurance to allow the House to function.

Rahul Gandhi stepped in to overturn the stand taken by the Congress in the Rajya Sabha, where Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad had agreed to the government proposal to extend the time allocated for the debate on Motion of Thanks on President's address by five hours to accommodate elaborate discussion on farmers issues.

In the Lok Sabha, Congress members took a different stand and continued to protest in the Well of the House demanding a separate discussion on the farmers' issue.

Rahul, who represents Wayanad in the Lok Sabha, held a strategy meeting with party members and directed them to insist on a separate discussion on the farmers' issue.

Also read: Kisan mahapanchayats in Haryana, west UP to support farm protests

As members from the Congress, DMK, Akali Dal and AAP protested in the Well of the House, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said he had spoken to opposition leaders who had agreed to take up the discussion on the Motion of Thanks

“Now they have taken a U-turn and that is also like an insult to the President,” Joshi said. The Lok Sabha witnessed repeated adjournments over the issue.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury conveyed the party's stand to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The government was not keen to have a separate discussion on the issue, contending that the farmer's issue can be raised during the debate on the Motion of Thanks.

As per Parliamentary procedures, both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha take up the discussion on Motion of Thanks to the President for his address as the first agenda item, followed by a debate on the Union Budget.

BJP member Locket Chatterjee was to initiate the discussion on the Motion of Thanks, while Manish Tewari was the lead speaker from the Congress ranks.

“I just cannot understand the attitude of the government and the Speaker in refusing a discussion on the Farmers Protests and instead insisting on clubbing it with the debate on the President's Address. Parliament exists to give people's representatives a voice on burning issues of the day,” Congress member Shashi Tharoor said.