The Hindu : Opposition protests to Shekhawat

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Friday, Aug 15, 2003

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Opposition protests to Shekhawat

By K.V. Prasad

NEW DELHI AUG. 14. Carrying forward their non-cooperation with the Government, the Opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha today decided not to participate in the proceedings of the House for the remaining period of the monsoon session.

The decision followed a meeting of the Opposition leaders after developments on Wednesday. In a joint letter to the Chairman, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, the leaders conveyed their sentiments with regard to his ruling while denying a discussion on the Public Accounts Committee report, a demand made by the Opposition.

Barring the Samajwadi Party, the letter was signed by the Leader of the Opposition, Manmohan Singh, the Congress chief whip, Pranab Mukherjee, Manoj Bhattacharya (RSP), H.K. Javare Gowda (JD-S), Robert Kharshing (NCP), Nilotpal Basu (CPI-M) and Ramdeo Bhandari (RJD).

They said the events of the last couple of days relating to the demand of the Opposition that the House debate certain issues in relation to the matters arising out of the report of the PAC had exercised the minds not only of the Opposition, but also all concerned with the orderly functioning of the House.

Expressing anguish at the turn of events during yesterday's afternoon session, the leaders said they always believed that the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha by virtue of his office was the custodian of the prestige, honour, and dignity of the House. The Chairman was the guardian of the interests of all sections of the House.

"The Chair, traditionally and as a matter of policy, cannot get involved in the thicket of politics since the Chair is above politics and never takes a stand on issues which are essentially political. Any pro-active posture that has the tendency to involve the Chair in purely political matters has always been avoided and that has been the tradition of the House'', the letter said.

Recalling the demand made by the Opposition and the 20-month boycott of George Fernandes, they told the Chairman that while he may personally disagree with their position, it was for the Government to make its stand clear. They said as the second highest dignitary of the Republic and the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, they expected him to keep himself above the controversy and to objectively guide the proceedings of the House. By declaring that the Defence Minister would reply to the debate, he did what the Government was required to state in the House.

"A large section of the House considers that such observations do not fall within the ambit of the jurisdiction of the Chair. The piquant situation created by your observations has embarrassed a sizeable section of the House''.

The also said that his ruling on their demand that some documents be placed in the House could have been stated by the Government and his observations on the functioning of the PAC was likely to be interpreted as an "interference' in the functioning of the Lok Sabha, since the PAC was essentially a Committee of the House of the People. However, the leaders said that while they had no intention to question the Chairman's ruling through the letter they wished to express their feelings. "We are writing this letter in this spirit not to show any disrespect to the Chair, or to disobey the ruling of the Chairman...our fight is against the insensitive attitude of the Government'', the leaders said.

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