Proceedings of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were disrupted on Monday when members of treasury and opposition benches traded charges over the alleged George Soros-Congress link and Adani issues.
The pandemonium continued through the day in the Rajya Sabha with Opposition members accusing Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar of taking part in the Centre’s “game”.
The Chairman informed the House that he has scheduled a meeting with Treasury and Opposition leader on Tuesday at 10.30 a.m. before the proceedings begin.”I had in my chamber a meeting between leader of the House and leader of the opposition. The purpose of that meeting was to ensure that the House runs smoothly. Both sides and some other floor leaders were present here like Tiruchi Siva, Pramod Tiwari and Jairam Ramesh,” he said.
He further said that both sides had frank discussion and they signalled two things. ”One, that integrity, sovereignty of the nation is sacred for us. We cannot allow any forces within the country or outside to sacrilege our unity, our integrity and our sovereignty. The leaders had frank discussion. They have agreed to meet in my chamber tomorrow at 10.30 a.m.” He urged all the members of the House to carefully consider the oath of the Constitution they have taken.
‘Their oath is very specific. They have to ensure the integrity of the nation on a priority basis. Any challenge to the unity of the nation, to the integrity of the nation… requires all of us to offer a united challenge. This is not a challenge to one section or the other. It is a challenge to our very existence.
‘’We, as a nation, are committed to fighting these sinister forces, these forces that are inimical to India. This inimical force mechanism, a deep state that is evolving, is required to be neutralised by all of us. I would appeal to the Hon’ble members to share the sentiments of the people at large,” he stressed.
Dhankhar noted that ”People at large are extremely concerned that all divisive forces, all forces that are pernicious to the concept of Bharat, all forces that have sinister designs to run down our democracy, to bring down our progress to impede our economic upsurge have to be defeated by us. That is a sentiment which 1.4 million people share,” adding ”That sentiment has to emanate from this House”.
The Chairman further stated that ” The House at this critical moment, when the country is facing such serious challenges, must send a united voice to motivate the people at large, inspire the people, so that these forces are defeated. We, in this country, that is rising at a very fast pace, cannot afford to either countenance or overlook such kind of evil designs and our conduct should be such that people get more interested in our Parliament because if dialogue in Parliament does not share the sentiments of the people at large. Parliament will get into irrelevance.”
He highlighted that it is fundamental for Parliament to debate such serious challenges that the nation is facing from forces that are determined to run down our country by employing various mechanisms.
”The functioning of the deep state has been noticed that it affects us more perniciously than COVID disease and this is an occasion where the entire nation needs to speak in one voice. The nation must give a direction to the people at large so that all enemies of Bharat within or outside a total lesson never to venture in a misadventure to challenge our integrity, our sovereignty and impede our progress,” he said.
He expressed confidence that the members of both sides will soul search for themselves, they have to fulfill their oaths and ”set an example to the nation that we are first Indians, nation is first for us. Our commitment to nationalism has to be hundred per cent. We shall not allow our nationalism to go down. We will not bear any challenge that is to our unity, integrity and sovereignty.”
Earlier in the day, the Chairman extended birthday greetings to UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi in the House.
The Rajya Sabha agenda included the consideration and passing of the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The Bill was passed by the Lower House last week.
Lok Sabha proceedings were also adjourned finally till Tuesday after being suspended a few times earlier in the day. The House of the People was scheduled to continue discussion on The Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah was also slated to move The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024, for consideration and passing.