Mann affair casts shadow on Bill business

The adjournments in the Rajya Sabha today over Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Lok Sabha member Bhagwant Mann posting a live video of Parliament security could cast a shadow on the government’s efforts to build a consensus with the Congress party on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) constitutional amendment Bill.

While Lok Sabha proceedings were totally washed out after ruling alliance members protested Mann’s action, the Rajya Sabha also couldn’t transact any business. In the Rajya Sabha, a Congress member had planned to move a private members’ Bill to grant Andhra Pradesh special status. The Congress had even issued whip to its members, directing them to be present in the House. The Congress is the single largest party in the Upper House.

But repeated adjournments meant that the House couldn’t take up the private members’ Bill. Shiromani Akali Dal members, led by Naresh Gujral as well Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, demanded action against the AAP MP. The members, supported by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members, ensured that the chair had to adjourn the House.

A Congress leader said that the party resents the use of Akali MPs to disrupt the proceedings during the discussion on the private members’ Bill, which would have otherwise gone through. “It hasn’t left a good taste in the mouth and we, in the Congress, believe we cannot work with the government,” a Congress leader said. The leader added that the happenings have cast a shadow on whether GST can be passed.

However, government sources disputed that the Andhra Pradesh private members’ Bill would have passed the muster to be discussed as it was clearly a Money Bill. Sources said the rules clearly define that if a dispute on whether a Bill is a Money Bill or not needs to be referred by the Rajya Sabha chair to the Lok Sabha Speaker, and her decision is final.

However, the Congress position is also an effort to force the government to show more accommodation on the Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) Bill, that the Rajya Sabha is scheduled to take up on Monday.