Digvijaya renews demand for Rajya Sabha debate on governors' role

He asked for debate on role of Mridula Sinha and Najma Heptulla, governors of Goa and Manipur

Congress party leader Digvijaya Singh will have to keep his fingers crossed till Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari or his deputy, P J Kurien, decide on whether to allow his substantive motion for a debate on the role of governors in Goa and Manipur.

Singh had moved the motion two weeks before. On Friday, he pressed the chair to allow a debate on the role of Mridula Sinha and Najma Heptulla, the governors of Goa and Manipur, respectively, for not inviting the Congress first to form a government despite the party being the single largest in the recently held assembly polls.

Singh has alleged the two governors helped the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form a government by luring smaller parties with financial favours.

According to constitutional expert Subhash Kashyap, the role of governors is technically not supposed to be discussed in Parliament but there are exceptions. The chair in this case, he said, had the discretion to decide, in consultation with the government.

Singh had earlier given a simple notice for a debate but was told by minister of state for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi that only a substantive motion would be admitted in a matter where a member wanted to debate the role of governors, who are appointed by the President of India. As a substantive motion entails voting at the end of a debate, the government might not be okay with the idea. The ruling coalition lacks a majority in the House.

Singh was in charge of party affairs in Goa. He is miffed with former defence minister and current Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar checkmating him in the game to form a government in the coastal state. He was riled further when Parrikar visited the Rajya Sabha on Friday and thanked members for their cooperation when he was in charge of defence. In an obvious taunt at Singh, Parrikar specially thanked the Congress member for letting him form a government in Goa.

Singh has been attacked by two former Congress lawmakers in the state for letting the opportunity to form a government slip out of his hands.

In Manipur, the BJP stumped the Congress to install N Biren Singh as chief minister, with support of regional parties.

As Digvijaya pressed for a decision, saying the ongoing Budget session was coming to an end on April 13, Kurien, in the chair, assured him he'd get back on the issue.

Singh, who also took a swipe at leader of the house and finance minister Arun Jaitley for delaying a decision on the notice, said the chair could call both leaders in his chamber. He also said while Kurien and the Rajya Sabha secretariat were helpful in the matter, the leader of the house was not.

Kashyap said no time limit was prescribed for the chair to decide on a substantive motion but the presiding officer should dispose it off within a reasonable period.