Parliament Monsoon Session: LS adjourned repeatedly amid Oppn uproar; RS passes Marine Aids to Navigation Bill

Chaos repeatedly halted Parliament proceedings for the seventh day in a row, the Opposition created an uproar over issues such as Pegasus snooping, farm laws and fuel hike. Members in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha trooped into the Wells and resorted to sloganeering. This, as seven Opposition parties wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind seeking his intervention to direct the government to discuss farmers’ issues and Pegasus row in Parliament, NCP leader Supriya Sule said on Tuesday. The BSP, RLP, SAD, National Conference, CPI and the CPI(M), besides the NCP, are the signatories to the letter. SAD leader Harsimrat Badal said it is very unfortunate that farmers have died while protesting against the three farm laws but the Centre is not even ready to discuss their issues. NCP leader Sule said the seven parties have written to the President seeking his intervention to instruct the government to discuss the farmers’ issues and Pegasus snooping in the Parliament. Here’s what happened in both Houses today: Rajya Sabha The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day after an uproar followed the passage of the Marine Aids to Navigation Bill, 2021. Soon after the members met at 3 pm, the deputy chairman asked the House to proceed with a discussion on the Marine Aids to Navigation Bill, 2021 and called the members whose names were listed for the discussion. However, as no one came forward, he asked Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal to reply, after which the bill was passed. At 2 pm, when the House re-assembled after lunch, the proceedings were adjourned following protests by the Opposition members. The deputy chairman then adjourned the House till 3 pm, while earlier, it was adjourned till noon and again till 2 pm. As a BJP MP started speaking on the bill, the Opposition members, some of them carrying placards, trooped into the Well and started raising slogans against the government on the Pegasus snooping row. The deputy chairman then adjourned the House till 3 pm but similar scenes were witnessed again as the proceedings resumed. The deputy chairman asked the House to proceed with a discussion on the Marine Aids to Navigation Bill, 2021 and called the members whose names were listed for the discussion. However, as no one came forward, he asked Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal to reply, after which the bill was passed. The House was then adjourned till 4 pm before being adjourned for the day. Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the ninth time till 4.30 pm and then finally adjourned till tomorrow amid continuous protests by Opposition members. After the House reassembled at 4 pm, Rajendra Agrawal, who was in the Chair, took up matters of urgent public importance. As the proceedings began at 11 am, the Opposition members trooped into the Well shouting slogans and carrying banners. The members of Congress, CPI, CPM and TMC were protesting over the Pegasus snooping row, while the BSP, SP and Shiromani Akali Dal were protesting against the Centre’s three new farm laws. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal said by disrupting the proceedings the Opposition is not allowing the ministers to do their duty of replying to questions. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar took a swipe at the protesting Opposition members and said if they are concerned about farmers, they should allow the proceedings of the House to continue. “There are around 15 questions related to farmers. If the Opposition members are really concerned about farmers, they should listen to what the government has to say,” Tomar said. As the protests continued, the House was adjourned for the first time till 11.45 am. When the House met again, the protests continued, leading to another adjournment till noon. As the Lok Sabha reassembled at noon, protests resumed leading to an adjournment till 12.30 pm. The House again adjourned proceedings till 2 pm. Subsequently, Bhartruhari Mahtab, who was in the Chair, adjourned the house till 2.30 pm. Among the day’s agenda, Union minister Smriti Irani was to move that the Bill to amend the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, as passed by Lok Sabha, be taken into consideration. In Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was to move that the Bill to amend Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, be taken into consideration. Amid disruptions, the Lok Sabha on Monday had passed the Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020, and the National Institutes of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management Bill, 2021 on Monday. A total of 69 zero hour mentions, including 12 admitted for Monday, and 23 special mentions by as many members could not be raised during the last week and Monday due to persistent disruptions.