New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha witnessed fresh turbulence on Wednesday as Deputy Chairman Harivansh declined to admit 35 notices submitted under Rule 267, triggering protests from Opposition members.
The notices, which sought suspension of regular business to discuss urgent public issues — including electoral roll revisions and exam irregularities — were deemed non-compliant with procedural norms.
“None of these notices adhere to the requirements of Rule 267 as enunciated in the past,” Harivansh said, reiterating his stance from the previous day.
Despite mounting pressure from the Opposition for a debate, he remained firm, urging members to utilise Zero Hour to raise public concerns.
He also noted that several MPs had approached him privately, expressing disappointment over being denied the opportunity to speak.
When a member attempted to raise a “point of order”, the Deputy Chairman dismissed it, stating, “Point of order can only be raised when the House is in order.”
As the disruptions escalated, he remarked, “You do not seem to run the proceedings of the House,” before adjourning the session till 2 p.m.
Upon reconvening in the morning for the Wednesday session, the House paid tribute to former Rajya Sabha member Satyapal Malik, who passed away on Tuesday. Members observed a minute’s silence in his memory.
The session resumed with routine legislative business. The Secretary General laid the Goa Municipalities (Amendment) Bill, while BJP MP Naresh Bansal and Minister of State Tokhan Sahu tabled reports and statements related to housing and urban affairs.
Other Ministers of State also present included Dr L. Murugan, Pankaj Choudhary, Nityanand Rai, S.P. Singh Baghel, B.L. Verma, Sukanta Majumdar, Savitri Thakur, Harsh Malhotra, and Tokhan Sahu also laid papers.
The impasse over Rule 267 reflects deepening friction between the Opposition and the Chair over procedural fairness and democratic space.
Notices submitted by MPs like Randeep Surjewala and Sanjay Singh had sought urgent discussions on electoral integrity and SSC exam irregularities, but were rejected on technical grounds.
As the Monsoon Session enters its final stretch, the Rajya Sabha remains gridlocked between calls for accountability and procedural rigidity.
(IANS)
