Rajya Sabha passes two Bills amid some protests

Rajya Sabha on Monday saw some productivity after disruption in the first two weeks of Parliament's Monsoon session with the MPs passing two Bills seeking to ban funding of weapons of mass destruction and extend the application of domestic laws to research stations set up by India in the Antarctic region.

The Bills, which were earlier cleared by Lok Sabha earlier, were passed in the afternoon session amid some protests, as the Opposition decided not to fully disrupt the proceedings.

Read | Suspension of 4 Congress MPs from Lok Sabha revoked

The functioning of Rajya Sabha witnessed an almost washout in the first two weeks of the session, as the Opposition insisted on an immediate discussion on price rise. During the ten sittings in two weeks, the Rajya Sabha could function for just 11:08 hours out of the scheduled 51:35 hours. During this period not a single bill was passed.

However, the first hour -- Zero Hour -- was washed out while the Question Hour was wrapped up after 50 minutes owing to Opposition protests over price rise, Agnipath scheme and arrest of Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut by Enforcement Directorate.

In the afternoon session, the first Bill to be passed was The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022 was passed by the Rajya Sabha with a voice vote even as opposition parties continued their protest over various issues.

Read | Rajya Sabha adjourned twice before lunch amid Opposition protests over various issues

Replying to the debate on the Bill, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said all MPs who spoke on the proposed law recognised that terrorism is a serious threat and so are weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Emphasising that the current law only covers trading and does not cover financing of weapons of mass destruction, he said, "this gap needs to be filled because recommendation...of the Financial Action Task Force requires all countries, including us, to ensure that asset financing for WMD-related activities is prohibited. So keeping in mind this lacunae of the current law we have brought this amendment. This is good for the security of the country. This is good for the reputation of the country."

Rajya Sabba also passed The Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022 was passed with a voice vote. CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas demanded a division of votes but Vice Chairperson Bhubaneswar Kalita proceeded with the voice vote as the Opposition MPs, who were protesting in the Well of the House, did not return to their seats.

Earlier in the day, Leader of House Piyush Goyal said the Opposition should cooperate in the functioning of the House, as the debate on price rise has been scheduled for Tuesday.

He also said the government does not interfere in the work of enforcement agencies and that law will take its own course, as the Opposition protested Raut's arrest.

"We are law-makers, not law-breakers," he said, adding, the Opposition parties "might have interfered in the functioning of law-enforcement agencies when they were in power. This is not the case with BJP governments either at the Centre or in states".