Rajya Sabha logjam over conversion persists for fourth day (Roundup)

The Rajya Sabha was Thursday stalled for the fourth consecutive day over the conversion row, as the opposition insisted Prime Minister Narendra Modi should reply to a debate on the attack on the country's secular fabric, while the government blamed them for shying away from a discussion.

The upper house, where the government is in a minority, earlier lost nearly five days of government business over a row on minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti's comments, and is lagging far behind the Lok Sabha in transacting government business.

Thursday being the fourth consecutive day of disruptions, the upper house now has just three more working days left. Of these, Friday has private members business post lunch, ruling out any significant government work.

Crucial bills, including the insurance bill which the government has its focus on, are pending in the upper house.

The Rajya Sabha has lost 37 percent of its time in the winter session as of now, while the Lok Sabha has functioned for the entire time.

Thursday was a day when questions related to portfolios held by the prime minister were listed for reply.

Modi was present in the house during question hour, and despite Chairman Hamid Ansari allowing the debate, it could not be taken up as the opposition insisted on an assurance first that the prime minister would reply to the debate.

Later, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the prime minister could have intervened in the debate if it was taken up while he was there.

"In the pre-lunch session, there was a general consensus that a discussion should take place. The prime minister was here. I would have replied, and wherever needed, if the members were not satisfied, the prime minister could have intervened," Rajnath Singh said.

"I am sorry that the prime minister was present but the opposition did not allow the debate. There is some prestige of the prime minister's post," he said.

The house witnessed repeated disruptions, adjournments and angry exchanges between the ruling and opposition sides.

Members from both the opposition and the treasury benches created a din and the debate could not be taken up despite the chair repeatedly asking the members to start the discussion.

Congress leader Anand Sharma accused the government of heckling the opposition.

"Treasury benches are not allowing our members to speak. They are heckling us," he said.

An angry Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi accused the opposition of running away from the debate.

"Look at your members. You come out with a new condition every time. You are running away from a debate," he said.

Earlier, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley slammed the opposition, saying it appeared to be only interested in creating roadblocks in the functioning of the house.

"The notice for this discussion under Rule 267 (adjournment of question hour) came Monday. We agreed to a debate. But the opposition wants to decide how the debate will happen, who will respond," he said.

He said that even after the last statement by the prime minister, the house was not allowed to function.

"The (prime minister's) response was conciliatory. It indicated the house should go on. But someone said this is not acceptable, and that is where competitive politics of disruption started," Jaitley said.

The opposition has been protesting against recently reported incidents of conversion of Muslims to Hinduism, and also BJP parliamentarian Yogi Adityanath's comment supporting a mass conversion programme.

Adityanath reportedly said there was nothing wrong if people re-convert to Hinduism if they were doing it willingly.