Govt's 'obduracy' stalled proceedings in RS: CPI(M)

The government's "obduracy" stalled Rajya Sabha proceedings as ruling BJP did not heed to opposition requests for the Prime Minister to hear members' concerns over "communal polarisation" due to the conversion campaigns carried out by RSS and BJP MPs, CPI(M) said today.
"BJP refused the reasonable request by the opposition that the PM should hear their leaders' agony and concerns about the rapidly deteriorating situation of communal polarisation due to forcible reconversion campaign that RSS, its affiliates and BJP Ministers and MPs, have launched," senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said here.
Charging the government with "obduracy", he said the opposition only wanted the Prime Minister hear them and assure the House of "some action against such people. The refusal by the Modi government to accede to this reasonable request was the cause for the disruption".

Referring to the earlier assurance by the Prime Minister following Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti's "obnoxious" remarks, Yechury said, "Even after this, rabid communally polarising activities and speeches were made and continue to be made by elected MPs of BJP.
"That is why the opposition was insisting not only on an assurance from the PM, but an assurance of action against the errant Ministers and MPs."
Defending the opposition in Rajya Sabha, he said these parties had "fulfilled their parliamentary obligations by returning the Appropriations Bill in the midst of turmoil."
"Even on the final day, on humanitarian grounds, a bill was passed to stop eviction of slum-dwellers in Delhi. 12 bills were passed by Rajya Sabha as against 17 by Lok Sabha which saw no disruption," he said.

"Further, by exercising its tyranny of majority, BJP passed a number of bills (in Lok Sabha) without referring them to the Standing Committees, violating established parliamentary procedures and traditions. Such bulldozing was not allowed in Rajya Sabha," Yechury said.