New Delhi: Goa’s Shantaram Naik and other Congress MPs in the Rajya Sabha have given notices of breach of privilege against Prime Minister Modi for making statements on demonetisation outside Parliament when both the Houses are in session.
He referred to a specific speech of the Prime Minister at a BJP rally in Agra on November 19 defending demonetisation as safeguarding the honest, securing future of
youth and asserting that it has adversely hit those involved in terrorism, fake currency racket and narcotics. Congress deputy leader Anand Sharma on Thursday referred to the breach of privilege motions by his party MPs against Modi during heated arguments between the government and opposition benches on the demand for the Prime Minister”s presence in the house during debate on demonetisation. Modi did turn up at noon as it was his day in the question hour and sat through full one hour, but didn”t come back after the lunch recess triggering another pandemonium and adjournment for the day.
The Congress and other opposition parties boycotted a meeting convened by Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the morning to break the Parliament impasse. “Opposition is very clear that PM has to come. If PM is running away from the debate, what is the point of meeting Home Minister,” Anand Sharma asked.
After the Rajya Sabha was adjourned amid ruckus, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said the Opposition has already moved a motion of contempt against the PM for not showing up in the House and his presence for a while is immaterial if he does not sit through the demonetisation debate and answer the members” queries.
Shantaram Naik”s notice says the PM committed another breach of privilege of the House by not attending the Rajya Sabha last week when the entire day was spent debating demonetisation and not thinking it fit to intervene.
He also referred to many irregularities committed by the government in not following the procedures laid down under Section 26 of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Act, 1934, and said the PM did not come to the House to tell the nation whether the procedures were followed. He contended that the PM was guilty of violating the scheme of the RBI Act, constituting an offence punishable under Section 58B of the Act. Naik said the demolition effected without issuing an Ordinance was another illegality committed by the PM.
