Rajya Sabha takes up Finance Bill, BJP walks out

Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party Thursday walked out of the Rajya Sabha after the Finance Bill 2013 was introduced, saying it was dissatisfied with the moral standards of the government and thus could not cooperate.

As part of an agreement reached between the government and the opposition, the Finance Bill and demands for grants for various ministries, along with the railway bill and appropriation bill, were taken up by the Rajya Sabha Thursday afternoon, with the opposition agreeing to maintain peace in the house.

Speaking after the bills were introduced, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said the opposition did not want to cooperate with the government, but it also did not want to stall the passage of the Finance Bill, and so chose to walk out.

"There is a constitutional need that all Finance Bills are discussed, but we regret the condition of morality, governance and the situation of the nation; hence we cannot cooperate with the government," Jaitley said.

Slamming the government for its weak foreign policy, corruption and attempts to cover up scams, the opposition leader said it was an indication of the collapse of governance.

The money bills were passed in the Lok Sabha Tuesday without debate.