RS loses much time over priority issue

On Wednesday the Rajya Sabha lost half a day as the treasury benches and the Opposition could not reach a consensus over which matter deserves priority and needs to be taken up first.

While the Congress-led Opposition wanted to debate on the Chandigarh stalking case and printing of differently-sized new currency notes, the government wanted the House to take up the Banking Regulation (amendment) Bill.

The House, which had earlier seen a discussion on the 75th anniversary of the Quit India Movement, witnessed two adjournments as the Opposition and the treasury benches didn't budge from their respective stands before a hapless Chair, and the session had to be adjourned for the day.

Consensus eluded even after the leaders of the two sides met in the presence of Deputy Chairman P J Kurien to break the deadlock. Those who attended the meeting after the second adjournment included Union Ministers Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Ravi Shankar Prasad, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma,Jairam Ramesh and Kumari Selja.

Unsure that the Opposition will take the bill after completing discussion on the differently sized currency notes, Naqvi stood the ground to take the passage of the bill first. Pressing for a discussion on their issues including the Chandigarh stalking incident, the Congress-led Opposition trooped into the well, raising anti- government slogans.

Even after intervention by Kurien, both sides remained defiant on their respective stands, leading to the premature adjournment of the House for the day.