Mumbai: Expressing concern over Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh ‘not allowing’ opposition MPs to put forth their views on farm bills, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said Tuesday he has never seen presiding officers behave in such a manner with House members. Sharad Pawar, the former Union Agriculture Minister made the comments while talking to reporters here.
Pawar also objected to the manner in which farm bills were passed Sunday in Rajya Sabha amid Opposition protests. The Rajya Sabha member said he is observing a fast Tuesday. The fast is in support of eight MPs who were suspended from the Upper House for the remaining part of the current session. They were suspended for their ‘misconduct’ with the deputy chairman during the passage of the farm bills.
“The bills were not required to be passed in one go and could have been discussed separately,” Pawar said.
“Members like me expected that the chairman, the deputy chairman or those in the chair would look at the issue seriously. They should have given the members opportunities to express their views. But it did not happen,” Pawar added.
Also read: 8 MPs suspended in Rajya Sabha; Venkaiah Naidu rejects motion of no-confidence against deputy chair
Opposition members conveyed to the deputy chairman that he did not go by the rules. He broke rules when the bills came up for discussion in the Rajya Sabha, Pawar said.
“It was expected from the deputy chairman to at least listen to rules which the members were referring to,” Pawar pointed out. “But it did not happen and immediately voting was held, that too by voice…Hence, the members reacted sharply,” Pawar pointed out.
“I have worked for over 50 years in the legislatures of Maharashtra and India. But I have never seen the presiding officers behave thus with members,” asserted the former minister.
Pawar said the developments which took place in the Rajya Sabha over the past two days were not seen in the past. He said it was said about the deputy chairman that he follows the ideology of late Karpuri Thakur, a senior leader from Bihar who was considered as an expert of Parliamentary democracy and rights.
But Harivansh ignored all these ideologies and the members were suspended and their rights were snatched, Pawar said.
