Impasse continues in Lok Sabha over debate on three farm laws

NEW DELHI: Negotiations to resume debate on the President’s Speech in the Lok Sabha ended deadlocked on Thursday as government managers and Opposition leaders failed to reach a consensus on the latter’s demand to hold a separate debate in the House on farm issues.

Three days in the Lower House have been washed out by protests already, even as debate is smoothly proceeding in the Upper House.

The late evening meeting, chaired by Speaker Om Birla, saw Opposition leaders sticking to their demand for a separate debate on farm issues and the government not providing any concrete assurance and saying the matter could be addressed in an all-encompassing debate on the President’s speech.

This was seen as a last-ditch effort to salvage the debate in the Lok Sabha where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to reply at 5pm on Friday. With no breakthrough, the PM’S scheduled speech in the Lok Sabha is under a cloud.

“There is no solution. The Speaker said he has no objection to a separate debate but the government didn’t agree. We suggested that the motion to thank the President for his speech be passed without PM’S speech and debate,” said Trinamool Congress member Saugata Ray, who was present in the meeting.

The Congress party appeared to have hardened its stand hours after former party chief Rahul Gandhi told a meeting of protesting Opposition leaders that they were on the “right path” and a separate discussion on farm issues was “absolutely essential”.

Gandhi also allayed apprehension that many Opposition MPS might stop coming to the House if continuous disruptions persist, and said, “We will ensure that MPS come to the Lok Sabha.”

As deadlock continued, Birla called Congress floor leader Adhir Chowdhury and parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi and his deputy Arjun Ram Meghwal for a marathon meeting.

Gandhi and other Opposition leaders said in their internal meeting that only a separate discussion on farm issues can send the “right signal” to farmers protesting against three agriculture laws outside Delhi for the past two months, according to leaders with knowledge of developments.

Over the past three days, Birla was forced to repeatedly adjourn the House as MPS trooped to the Well, raised slogans and flashed placards, and demanded that the farmers’ issue be given top priority.

Taking cue from the Rajya Sabha where the debate is going on smoothly, the government proposed to extend the allotted time from 10 hours to 15 hours in the Lok Sabha too but the Opposition didn’t agree. Opposition parties want an exclusive discussion on farm issues before the House takes up the budget discussion next week, according to leaders with knowledge of developments.

In the evening, MPS from 10 Opposition parties wrote to Birla, saying they weren’t allowed to meet protesting farmers at Ghazipur border. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leaders Kanimozhi and TR Baalu, Aam Aadmi Party’s Bhagwant Mann, Shiromani Akali Dal’s Harsimrat Kaul Badal and Nationalist Congress Party’s Supriya Sule were among the parliamentarians who went to the protest site.

With the Prime Minister’s customary reply in the Lok Sabha uncertain, officials pointed out that at least on four occasions-- 1996, 1999 (twice) and 2004—the Upper House concluded the debate on the President’s speech earlier than the Lower House.

“Even as the convention is that PM replies first in the Lok Sabha, there are no steadfast rules or procedures for such an arrangement,” said a senior Rajya Sabha official on condition of anonymity.