PARLIAMENT

issues that we will discuss with Speaker Om Birla. But we want the debate to take place.”

Even if there’s a debate, the farm issue is set to dominate the Opposition agenda. The Opposition wants a separate debate on the farm issue but government managers want it covered under the discussion on the President’s speech. As things stand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to reply on the debate in Lok Sabha on Friday and Rajya Sabha on Monday.

A few opposition parties may move notices under Rule 267 in the Rajya Sabha, and adjournment motions in the Lower House, to set aside scheduled business and discuss the farm issue.

The agitation against the three farm bills started soon after they were passed by Parliament in September. The farmers think the laws will put them at the mercy of corporate firms and gut government-backed support systems. The Centre has assured farmers that the minimum support price regime will not be touched and offered to put the laws on hold for 18 months, but the protesters are pushing for a repeal of the laws.

The protests took a violent turn on Republic Day, when agitators broke through barricades on tractors, ran riot on Delhi’s streets and stormed the Red Fort, hoisting the Sikh flag from its ramparts. Since then, protest sites on the outskirts of the Capital have turned into fortresses, with police digging trenches, putting up barbed wire fences, concrete barricades and hammering beds of nails on roads.

On Tuesday, farm leader Rakesh Tikait, whose emotional appeal for support last week inspired thousands of farmers from western Uttar Pradesh to join the stir, told agitators to be ready to continue the stir until November. “‘Kanoon wapsi nahi to ghar wapsi nahi (no returning home until the laws are repealed),” he added.

Some opposition parties, including the Congress, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Left, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which met on Tuesday morning to strategise, also objected allotment of 10 hours for the entire debate on the President’s speech, and argued that since the PM speaks for about an hour, he should get a separate slot.

The Opposition parties will again meet on Wednesday morning to review and renew their strategy.

Throughout the day, Lok Sabha Speaker Birla spoke to leaders across parties to run the House but the Opposition remained adamant. There was no formal meeting between Naidu and opposition leaders, according to his officials, but back-channel negotiations are likely to start in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Protests erupted in the Rajya Sabha at 9.25am after Naidu rejected the Opposition’s notice and said, “As we are going to discuss the President’s address tomorrow as the first item, members can avail themselves of this opportunity and then participate and express their viewpoints. That is why I am not able to accept the notice given to suspend the Business of the House.”

The opposition members from the TMC, Left, Congress and the DMK, who had given suspension notices, raised slogans and trooped into the Well of the House. But Naidu did not relent, and some Opposition MPS walked out as soon as the question hour began.

When they reassembled after some later, the protests grew louder, forcing Naidu to adjourn the House for about 40 minutes. As soon as it resumed, opposition members continued to raise slogans, forcing a second adjournment till 11.30am. The House was finally adjourned for the whole day a third time when opposition MPS did not heed deputy chairperson Harivansh’s appeals to allow the House to take up bills listed for the day.

Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said, “The Opposition can raise any issue during the debate on President speech. And the government will also give a reply to all their questions.” RJD’S Manoj Jha and Communist Party of India’s Binoy Viswam demanded a discussion while BSP’S Satish Misra said that this was an issue that every parliamentarian wanted to discuss so that a solution could come out.

In the Lok Sabha, right from the start, the Opposition pushed for an adjournment motion. Question hour, which had a query on minimum support prices — one of the key bones of contention between the government and the farm unions — could not continue after a brief start as the House got adjourned.

The House met after an hour but protests followed. Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that had the Opposition allowed the question hour, their issue would have been resolved. Birla tried to convince the protesting MPS and said he will allow everyone to speak if they return to their seats but no one was in a mood to comply.