NDA boycotts Finance Bill as Govt, Oppn clash in Parliament

New Delhi, Mar 22 (PTI) Indian goverment and
Opposition on Tuesday clashed over the timing of debate on
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement on 'cash-for-votes'
scam, leading to disruption of proceedings in both Houses of
Parliament and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) boycott of
the discussion on Finance Bill in the Lower House of
Parliament, Lok Sabha.
Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) also gave notice for Breach
of Privilege against the Prime Minister, alleging that he had
misled Parliament by denying bribery during the 2008
Confidence Motion to save the United Progressive Alliance-I
government.
The Upper House of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, witnessed
three adjournments and the Lok Sabha one because of the
pandemonium created after the Opposition pressed for urgent
debate on Singh's statement in which he has denied purchase of
any MP during the trust vote.
Keen to corner government over 'cash-for-votes' scam
in the light of Wikileaks expose, the Opposition had given
notice for short duration debate on the issue which was agreed
to.
In the Upper House, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee
and Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj came face-to-face over
the timing of the discussion.
While Swaraj wanted immediate discussion, Mukherjee
argued that it could take place after the passage of the
Finance Bill.
"We agreed to short duration debate after the Finance
Bill is passed. We have no problem to discussion under Rule
192 (which does not entail voting). But please allow the
Finance Bill to be passed first," Mukherjee said addressing
the Opposition.
"The Finance Bill has its own sanctity," Mukherjee
said, appealing for cooperation from the Opposition.
Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj said the Opposition
also wants passage of the Finance Bill but it should be taken
up only after two-and-a-half hour debate on PM's statement.
"It is a question of two-and-a-half hours...You allow
debate, then we can have both... It is just a matter of
earlier and later," she said.
Swaraj said if the debate is allowed on the PM's
statement, "We are ready to sit here till 12 am in night (to
pass the Finance Bill)."
Countering Swaraj, Mukherjee said a precedent like
this should not be created.
"You have given the notice for a Short Duration
discussion today. Allow 24 hours. The discussion can take
place tomorrow... The Finance Bill has been decided long ago.
We should stick to the schedule," he said.
P C Chacko, who was in the Chair, also ruled that the
Finance Bill should be taken up first and Mukherjee started
moving the Bill.
Unhappy over this, Swaraj led a walkout, asking the
government to pass the Finance Bill without the main
Opposition if it was so adamant.

Earlier, Speaker Meira Kumar told Swaraj that her
notice of Breach of Privilege against the Prime Minister was
being examined by her.
This prompted Swaraj to press for discussion on the
Prime Minister's statement noting that she along with Sharad
Yadav (JD-U) and Yashwant Sinha (BJP) had given notice for
such a debate under Rule 193, which does not entail voting.
At this, Mukherjee retorted, "I do not think heaven is
going to fall if we take up the Finance Bill first. I assure
you that we will have the discussion after the Finance Bill is
passed. I am not making it a prestige issue."
In the Upper House, Leader of the Opposition Arun
Jaitley rose to say that he had given two notices - one on
privilege motion against the Prime Minister and the other
seeking a discussion under Rule 176, which does not entail
voting.
Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan said Chairman Hamid
Ansari was seized of the matter and a decision was yet to be
taken on the two notices given by the Leader of the
Opposition.
However, BJP members persisted that Jaitley should be
allowed to speak.
In the meanwhile, Congress members began waving a
weekly news magazine, which carried reports on alleged
irregularities during the NDA regime when senior BJP leader
Arun Shourie was the Disinvestment Minister.
Khan had a tough time in persuading Congress members
to allow the LoP to speak. Though he repeatedly said the
Leader of the Opposition should be allowed to speak as it is
his privilege, the ruling side members were unrelenting and
shouted "no, no".
In the pandemonium, the House was adjourned, first for
15 minutes and then till 2 PM.
Later Swaraj justified the opposition boycott saying
they were left with "no option" after the government rejected
its demand.
She told reporters that Mukherjee had called her up in
the morning and suggested that the discussion on the Finance
Bill be taken up first and then a debate on the Wikileaks
expose.
Swaraj said she had also suggested that since the
Finance Bill was not to be taken up by the Rajya Sabha, the
debate on PM's statement could be taken up there immediately.
"I told Mukherjee that the Finance Bill is there in
the Lower House but since there is no financial matter in the
Upper House, the debate on PM's statement be held there. But
Mukherjee did not agree," Swaraj said.
She insisted that when the government did not agree to
this, the NDA had no option but to stage a walkout.
"We had assured all support to the government that we
would not cause any constitutional crisis and want the
financial business to be completed," Swaraj said, adding that
despite this the government did not agree to the BJP demand.