Opposition files no-confidence motion against RS Dy Chairman Harivansh, sits on dharna inside House

Thirteen opposition parties on Sunday submitted a no-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh protesting against the manner in which he allowed the passage of two contentious farm sector bills without permitting a voting on its motions.

A number of Opposition MPs from the Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK, RJD, Samajwadi Party, CPI(M) and CPI among others also sat in protest inside the Rajya Sabha chambers after the House was adjourned before shifting their demonstration to Gandhi Statue in Parliament House to enable Lok Sabha MPs who would be sitting the Upper House Chambers for the proceedings starting from 3 PM.

Sources said leaders of Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK, NCP, RJD, CPI(M), CPI, AAP, Muslim League, TRS, LJD and Kerala Congress have signed the resolution expressing no-confidence in Harivansh.

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"The Deputy Chairperson did not even attempt to generate consensus in this regard (on extending timing) and did not allow RS members sitting in the Lok Sabha chamber to even participate. The Deputy Chairperson attempted to have the Bills passed in haste and without application of mind, circumvented all demands for proper voting by division...," the letter signed by at least 47 MPs said.

The letter also accused Harivansh packed the House with security personnel ``deliberately designed to overawe and outnumber" the Opposition "protested strongly".

The no-confidence motion comes a week after Harivansh was elected as Deputy Chairman for a second time, defeating the joint Opposition candidate in a voice vote. The Opposition had then not pressed for voting, as it was clear that it did not have the numbers.

High drama was witnessed in the House during the discussion on the two bills after Harivansh first went ahead with extending the sitting beyond 1 PM amid Opposition parties objecting to it.

Later, he was also accused of not allowing division of votes during the passage of The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill.

Congress chief whip Jairam Ramesh accused the BJP and the Deputy Chairman for the "chaos" in the Rajya Sabha, saying it was due to the government floor managers unilaterally cutting short the debate time by 45 minutes and "dictatorial attitude" of the Chair on extending the sitting. He also referred to the "unacceptable and truly" awful behaviour of Harivansh towards former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda by cutting short his speech citing time-limit.

In a series of tweets, he said, "All parties including the BJP had agreed to a four hour discussion on the two farm bills in the Rajya Sabha. This was unilaterally cut short by the government's floor managers by almost 45 minutes. This was the starting point for the chaos in the Parliament this afternoon."

On Harivansh, he said, "the dictatorial attitude of the Chair in not wanting to get a sense of the House, which is the convention to extend the session beyond the scheduled 1 PM, led to bedlam and chaos. The anti-farmer Bills were passed in the din without voting. Why the tearing urgency? On whose orders?"

Referring to the former Prime Minister, Ramesh said, "what happened to Deve Gowda-ji today in Rajya Sabha was completely unacceptable and truly awful...The Deputy Chairman was very, very rude to him."

Several Opposition members had objected to Harivansh cutting short Gowda's speech, saying the 87-year-old was a former prime minister and he should be shown respect. Inside the House, Ramesh said, "he is a former Prime Minister. Let us give him some respect."

As Harivansh asked him to conclude, Gowda said, "this is the last leg of my career, most probably. I don't want to go into all these things.