The BJP-led Opposition on Thursday virtually signalled an end to the Honeymoon period for Rajya Sabha Chairman Hameed Ansari, when it contended that rule of procedures were not followed in the passage of the controversial AIIMS (Amendment) Bill on Wednesday in the Upper House.
Stopping short of accusing the chair of partisanship, the BJP dashed off a letter on Thursday to Chairman Ansari registering their protest in the manner in which the Bill, which is actually designed to pave the way for AIIMS director P Venugopal’s exit from the prestigious institute, was bulldozed through by the government.
Raising doubts over the government?s motive behind hurrying the Bill, BJP?s chief whip in the Rajya Sabha SS Ahluwalia said, ??It?s not an ordinary Bill. It?s going to decide the fate and future of the specialised medical doctors working with premier institutions. If such practices are allowed to be continued, there won?t be any need of Opposition.??
The BJP?s dissatisfaction with Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee is already known, as it once protested against his ruling for not allowing the party to raise objections over the arrest of its president Rajnath Singh in West Bengal and discussions over land acquisition for a motor project at Singur. The party at that time accused Chatterjee of carrying on with the proceedings amid din and even threatened to bring no-confidence motion against him.
Ignoring the practice of selecting a Vice-Presidential candidate through consensus, who also becomes the ex-officio chairman of Rajya Sabha, the Saffron party otherwise put up its party leader Nazma Heptullah against Ansari in the last election. Though, the party preferred, unlike the Presidential election, to avoid any personalised campaign, it raised the issue of Ansari?s inexperience in Parliamentary affairs.
Moreover, making the party’s displeasure over the passage of the said Bill known, Ahluwalia in his letter to the Chairman alleged, ??Ironically, the AIIMS (Amendment) Bill, 2007 was allowed to be introduced in the House through a supplementary list of business for passage in disregard to the rules of parliament. And, a determined government bulldozed it amidst chaos and din.??
Not only claiming that the passage contravened the rules of procedure and set a wrong precedence, Ahluwalia said, ??It denied the opposition members, who had duly listed their amendments in the Bill by serving proper notices to your office. Dr MM Joshi, Dr Nazma Heptulla and Mr Kalraj Mishra had registered their amendments.??