The Hindu : National : No-trust move against Maharashtra Speaker

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Thursday, Dec 07, 2006
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No-trust move against Maharashtra Speaker

Arunkumar Bhatt

BJP, Sena serve notice for not allowing adjournment motion on farmers' suicide

NAGPUR: T he Opposition Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra on Wednesday served notices of a no-confidence motion against Speaker Babasaheb Kupekar and the State Government for not allowing it to table an adjournment motion censuring the Government on the farmers' suicide issue.

Leader of the Opposition Ramdas Kadam and BJP leader Gopinath Munde told reporters that the Government had `gagged' the voice of the Opposition in `connivance' with the Speaker and, hence, the motion against both. They had insisted on the adjournment motion under Rule 97, which entailed voting. This would have revealed where the sympathy of each ruling party member lay. But the Government and the Speaker wanted the debate under Rule 101, a "toothless" provision.

The Opposition members came to the House with their mouths covered with black ribbons, in a symbolic protest against their `gagging,' and did not participate in question hour. When Legislative Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Patil said the Opposition did not want to discuss the problem but only politicise it, they boycotted the day's proceedings. The House initiated discussion on the issue under another rule.

On Tuesday, the Opposition held a mock funeral procession in the House. "But we did `gandhigiri' today [on Wednesday] by tying black ribbons across our mouths," said Mr. Munde.

The Sena-BJP leaders wondered how the ruling party members could discuss a motion that had to be tabled by the Opposition. They denied having given any assurance to the Speaker in his chamber that they would initiate the debate under Rule 101.

Mr. Kupekar said they promised to initiate the debate and secondly their notice was not for adjournment under Rule 97 but under Rule 57, which only supersedes other business and calls upon the House to take up the matter on priority.

He said he could deny permission to move the adjournment if the matter was not urgent, needing prompt action.

"The farmers' suicides is a serious issue but not urgent for that has been taking place for the last two years."

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