Harivansh Narayana Singh, deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha has issued a clarification regarding the events of September 20 when two controversial farm-related bills were passed in the Upper House of Parliament amid commotion.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Harivansh Narayana Singh said, “I hold a constitutional position and therefore, cannot issue a formal rebuttal. I am bringing these facts to your notice and leave it to your conscience for your judgement.”
Singh’s clarification comes on the same day as a leading national daily reported that Rajya Sabha MPs KK Ragesh and Tiruchi Siva were on their seats when they demanded division during the passage of the farm bills on September 20. Opposition MPs, including Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad staged a boycott of the Upper House in protest claiming that division was denied by Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayana Singh.
As many as seven MPs were suspended for the remainder of the session by Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu for misbehaving with the deputy chairman. The Opposition parties staged a dharna inside the Parliament complex and later staged a boycott of the Lok Sabha.
“The amendment moved by CPI(M) MP KK Ragesh was negated by voice vote at 1.07 pm on September 20 as he was “in the Well of the house and not on his seat in the gallery at that point of time,” Janata Dal (United) MP and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Singh said in his statement. Ragesh had moved a statutory resolution disapproving the ordinance and an amendment to refer the two farm-related bills to a select committee.
Referring to videos of the House proceedings he shared with his statement, Singh said his claims “can be seen from the video as after calling him (Ragesh) to move his resolution and amendment, I looked at the gallery, but he was not there”.
In an open letter to Harivansh Singh dated September 25, MP KK Ragesh asked him whether he ignored Parliamentary procedures during the passage of the farm bills to “appease” Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“It comes as a surprise that a person like you, who claims to be a Socialist, could take a hypocritical position, by totally neglecting the real incidents, towards embracing political equities,” Ragesh went on to say in his letter.
Stills from proceedings of Rajya Sabha on September 20 (Photo Credits: PTI)
Going further, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Singh says DMK MP Tiruchi Siva did demand a division on his amendment for reference of his bill to a select committee “from his seat at 1.10 pm”.
“You will see from the same video that around 1.09 pm, one member was tearing the rule book and throwing on me. Besides I was surrounded by some hostile members, who were trying to snatch papers from me,” Singh went on to add.
Responding to claims that division called for by the two MPs was wrongfully denied, Harivansh Singh said, “You will appreciate, that as per rules and practice, in order to have a division, two things are essential. Firstly there should be a demand for division and equally important that there should be order in the house.”