Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister Girija Vyas today faced an awkward situation in Rajya Sabha when she was ticked off by the Chair for blaming Opposition after her Street Vendors Bill was not taken up on the last day of the Monsoon Session.
As soon as the House unanimously passed the Manual Scavengers Bill of the Social Justice Ministry, Vyas stood up saying she wanted to say something. The Scavengers Bill was moved by Kumari Selja.
Vyas expressed unhappiness that her bill could not be taken up and blamed the Opposition for it.
Soon members from BJP, SP and some other parties were on their feet slamming Vyas for her comments. At this, members from Congress stood in support of Vyas and began attacking the BJP members.
Deputy Chairman P J Kurien then intervened and told Vyas: "Madam Minister, you have to go by the will of the House. You cannot make a comment on that. It is the will of the House that the bill is not taken up."
As members from the Opposition and other parties continued to protest with Ravishankar Prasad (BJP) wondering how a minister could make such a comment when the House has decided something, Kurien tried to pacify them saying "I have expunged it (the remarks by Vyas).
The clash between the BJP and Vyas came today a day after the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj gave credit to women for the passage of a bill in the Lower House.
As soon as the the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill was passed by Lok Sabha, Swaraj had risen to say that three women were behind the unanimous passage of the measure.
She had said besides her, Vyas and Sumitra Mahajan, who was in the Chair when the bill was passed, is also a woman.
