Attacking the Centre over passing bills “hurriedly”, TMC MP Derek O’Brien on Wednesday wondered if the Government was “delivering pizzas or passing legislation”.

The attack came a day after the contentious Triple Talaq Bill was passed in the opposition-dominated Rajya Sabha.

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On Tuesday, the Trinamool Congress MP had said the way the bills were being passed amounted to a “mockery of Parliament” and was the government’s way of “smothering” the Opposition.

Mockery of #Parliament continues. 18 Bills hurriedly passed by both Houses & made into Acts this Session. Only ONE scrutinised by any Parliament committee. Smothering demand of #ConstructiveOpposition to improve Bills. Ignoring conventions.Our founding fathers/mothers would weep

— Derek O’Brien | ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) July 31, 2019

“Parliament is supposed to scrutinize Bills. This chart explains the bulldozing this Session. Are we delivering pizzas or passing legislation?” he tweeted on Wednesday with a chart attached to it.

The chart purportedly showed the contrast in the number of bills that were scrutinized when the Congress-led alliance was in power. He claimed that in the present Lok Sabha, only one out of the 18 bills passed were scrutinised, bringing the number down to 5 per cent.

#Parliament is supposed to scrutinize Bills. This chart explains the bulldozing this Session. Are we delivering pizzas or passing legislation? #ConstructiveOpposition pic.twitter.com/DKPDygpoV5

— Derek O’Brien | ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) July 31, 2019

Voicing concern over the government “hurriedly” passing the bills without Parliamentary scrutiny, seventeen opposition parties had in a letter to the Rajya Sabha Chairman last Friday said that it is a departure from the established practice and healthy traditions of enacting legislations.

Responding to the charges, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said that as the presiding officer he had referred 8 out of the 10 bills that were first introduced in the Upper House by the government to the concerned House panels.

“The other two bills that were not so referred related to the inclusion of some more groups in the category of Scheduled Tribes as they did not warrant detailed scrutiny by standing committee. Further, one more bill viz., The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill as received from Lok Sabha after detailed scrutiny by the concerned Standing Committee and passage by the other House was again referred to the Select Committee of Rajya Sabha,” Naidu said.

“I hope that all of you would agree that such a record would not justify the allegation if it is so intended that Rajya Sabha is a party to hurried legislation,” he added.

He also strongly disagreed with the opposition members’ contention that their voice was being smothered by not allowing enough short-duration discussions.