The BJP boycotted Rajya Sabha proceedings and the meeting of the business advisory committee in protest against the manner in which the AIIMS Bill was passed.
NEW DELHI: Members of Parliament belonging to the BJP boycotted Rajya Sabha proceedings and the meeting of the business advisory committee on Thursday in protest against the Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari’s “attitude” and the manner in which the AIIMS Bill was passed on Wednesday.
The passage of the Bill paves the way for the removal of AIIMS director P Venugopal, who has been at loggerheads with Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss. Venugopal was appointed during the NDA regime when Sushma Swaraj was health minister.
The introduction and passage of the Bill in Rajya Sabha took the BJP by surprise. The Bill, passed a day earlier in Lok Sabha, was not listed in Wednesday’s business approved for Rajya Sabha by the BAC in deference to BJP’s wishes.
The legislative business listed, however, included a Labour Bill. According to sources, the Left was not in favour of the Labour Bill being taken up and struck a deal with the UPA Government to have it dropped.
A revised list of business was prepared and circulated, listing the AIIMS Bill. NDA members sprang up as soon as it was taken up, protesting that it was not listed in the approved business and had been sneaked in and accused the government of “bulldozing” through the Bill.
While the Opposition saw motives in sudden listing of the bill, the deputy chairman clarified that the legislation was brought for consideration after approval of the business advisory committee. “The chairman has listed it,” Rahman Khan told agitated BJP and AIADMK members who continued to raise their voice against its introduction.
The BJP said the bill was initially not listed in Wednesday’s agenda for the Rajya Sabha. It was added later on when no BJP MP was present in the house and thus the party was unable to register its protest.
On Thursday, taking strong exception to the bypassing of rules to push the Bill through in the Rajya Sabha, BJP deputy leader Sushma Swaraj said the party had submitted its protest in writing to Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari, giving a detailed account of its side of the story and the ‘’haste’’ with which the government had bulldozed the Opposition just to pass a Bill intended ‘’against one individual’’ — the AIIMS director.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}