Govt responsible for deadlock in Rajya Sabha: Mallikarjun Kharge
New Delhi(PTI): Holding the government responsible for the deadlock in the Rajya Sabha, opposition members on Tuesday said they will continue with their joint protests against the suspension of 12 MPs till the time it is revoked.
Addressing reporters outside Parliament, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the suspension is against rules and undemocratic.
He said they will continue to protest in support of the suspended members and sit on a dharna with them and also urge Lok Sabha members to sit in support with them.
"The government is fully responsible for the deadlock in Rajya Sabha. We have been meeting the chairman and the government and have stressed that they cannot suspend members like this. They have wrongly and undemocratically suspended 12 MPs for what has happened during the previous Monsoon session," be said.
Kharge said they have to first name each member separately and tell why each of them has been suspended and only then can the suspension take place and that too should have happened in August 11.
"When the House is prorogued, the government has no right to suspend the members anymore for the previous session.Their action of suspension is neither as per rules nor per the Constitution.
"It seems the government's intention is clear of not allowing the House to function.Till the time their suspension is revoked, our fight will continue," Kharge said.
"We will not allow our voice to be throttled. This has no place in democracy and we will not allow any dictatorship. Modi ji wants to run Parliament with dictatorship. We will not allow this to happen," he alleged.
Twelve Opposition MPs -- six from the Congress, two each from the Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena, and one each from the CPI and CPI(M) -- were suspended from Rajya Sabha last Monday for the entire Winter Session of Parliament for their "unruly" conduct in the previous session in August.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Sitaram Yechury writes to CEC, flags 'delay and discrepancies' in releasing voting figures
New Delhi, May 3: Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury has written to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar raising concerns over "delays and discrepancies" in the release of voting figures of the first two phases of Lok Sabha polls, the party said in a statement.
Yechury, in his letter, said it is surprising that the final figures for the percentage of voting in the first phase of polls were released after an "inordinate and unexplained" delay of eleven days, while in case of the second phase, the delay was of four days.
The CPI (M) leader said there was a difference of around six per cent in the initial and final voting percentage released. He also questioned why the numbers of votes polled was not disclosed.
"Unfortunately, the ECI has not come out with any explanation for the cause of this undue delay. What goes unanswered is also surge of six per cent from the initial figures that the ECI put out and the final figure," the CPI(M) said in the statement.
"While it is plausible that there may be a slight variation between the initial and the final figures, this variation of six per cent is unusual and raises some suspicion. Also, while the percentages have been disclosed, the voting figures (number of votes polled) have not yet been provided," the statement said.
The CPI(M) said in the interest of transparency and credibility of the process, it is incumbent that the ECI clear the doubts that have arisen in this regard.
"It should provide state-wise, constituency-wise and assembly segment-wise break-up of the initial and final percentage as also the number of votes cast. Further, it also needs to be clarified as to how much under which category this rise has taken place - EVMs, postal ballots, votes at Facilitation Centres for personnel on duty etc," it said.
In a post on X, Yechury said the ECI should provide state-wise, constituency-wise and assembly segment wise break-up of the initial and final percentage as also the number of votes cast.
The Congress, CPI(M) and the TMC had on Tuesday criticised the Election Commission over the delay in publishing the final voter turnout figures for the first two phases of the Lok Sabha polls.
The commission that evening made public the voter turnout data of the first and second phases of polling held on April 19 and April 26.
According to the EC, a voter turnout of 66.14 per cent was recorded in the first and 66.71 per cent in the second phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.
However, opposition parties are demanding that the absolute number of voters, not just the percentage, be made public.
Voting for the general election is being held in seven phases, of which polling for two phases are over. The remaining phases are scheduled for May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The counting of votes will be taken up on June 4.
In the interests of transparency and credibility of the process, the ECI should provide state-wise, constituency-wise and assembly segment wise break-up of the initial and final percentage as also the number of votes cast. pic.twitter.com/YAAmGpKUw0
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) May 3, 2024
