Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh on Friday said notices under Rule 267 were being “used as a tool to create disorder in the House”, the caustic remark coming at a time Parliament is locked in an impasse over Opposition protests demanding a discussion on the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
Rule 267 provides for the suspension of the listed business of the day to discuss an issue. Several Opposition MPs have submitted notices under Rule 267 seeking a debate
on the SIR and a range of other issues.
“Some members are submitting notices daily on various issues. It appears that notices under Rule 267 are being used as a tool to create disorder in the House,” Harivansh said before rejecting all 20 notices received under Rule 267.
Trinamool Congress’s Derek O’Brien, CPM’s John Brittas, DMK’s Tiruchi Siva and Congress’s Pramod Tiwari objected to the remark and the rejection of the notices.
Harivansh said MPs had submitted notices for discussion on issues ranging from 4 to 11 per day under Rule 267.
He cited former Chairman Venkaiah Naidu’s observation on July 19, 2021, when 17 notices were received under Rule 267 for discussion on wide-ranging issues. “This suggests that there is no single view on the urgency of issues for me to take up the suspension of rules,” Naidu had said.
O’Brien challenged the argument of the Chair and said the Opposition members were ready to submit notices only on the SIR and that should be accepted.