The monsoon session 2020 of the Parliament ended a week before its schedule after Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were asjourned sine die on Wednesday. The government had requested the chairpersons of both houses to adjourn the houses in wake of covid 19.
Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad met President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan to request him to withhold approval to the three farm bills at the centre of national discussion right now.
Mr Azad alleged that bills passed by Rajya Sabha are violating the parliamentary and constitutional rules and procedures.
Both the Upper and Lower Houses passed The Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020. They will come into effect as laws as soon as the President gives his assent on these bills.
Azad said, “There was no division of votes, no voice voting. Constitution was undermined in the temple of democracy.” He also accused Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman for passing the bill in an ‘unconstitutional’ manner and said, “We [the Opposition] have given a representation to President that Farm Bills have been passed unconstitutionally. We appealed to him to withhold assent to the bills and return them to Parliament for proper scrutiny and discussions.”
“Farmers would only have benefitted from the bills had they been sent to a select committee. In the Rajya Sabha, Opposition parties gave five resolutions against the ordinance. Two MPs moved a motion to send it to a select committee. We all supported the motion,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha passed three labor codes – Industrial Relations Code 2020, Social Security Code 2020 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020 despitw the absenceof the oppositionin protest against the farming bills.
Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said the Rajya Sabha session managed to work efficiently and 25 bills were passed and 6 bills introduced in the current monsoon session that ended September 22. However, he added thay 3.15 hours were lost due to disruptions in this session.
The government also passed The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2020, The Bilateral Netting of Qualified Financial Contracts Bill, 2020, the three labour codes and the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill even as the opposition boycotted the proceedings.