Parliament proceedings |
The Rajya Sabha on Monday passed the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill and the Indian Antarctic Bill amid disruptions over the arrest of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut. The amendments moved by the Opposition members to both the Bills were defeated after a voice vote and Vice-Chairman Bhuvaneshwar Kalita did not allow the demand for a division on the ground that the Opposition members were protesting from the Well of the House.
The Opposition members accused the government of misusing probe agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Earlier, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, pointing to the treasury benches, said attempts were being made by “your friend” to destabilise democratically elected governments and the Chair was silent on events happening in Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Assam. He said the Opposition had given several notices demanding a discussion on various issues, including price rise and the death of 100-150 people in Gujarat due to spurious liquor, but the Chair was silent.
