Farm Bill clears parliament amid unprecedented drama in Rajya Sabha
New Delhi : Two of the three big ticket farm bills of the government were passed in Rajya Sabha by voice vote today amid unprecedented uproar and protests.
The opposition party claimed that the government did not have enough numbers to pass the bill so it violated all rules. "This does not end here," said Trinamool Congress's Derek O'Brien, terming it a "murder of democracy".
All the opposition MPs sat in protest inside the house, hampering the sanitization process that happens before the commencement of Lok Sabha Session at 3 pm.
"They cheated. They broke every rule in Parliament. It was a historic day. In the worst sense of the word. They cut RSTV feed so the country couldn't see. They censored RSTV. Don't spread propaganda. We have evidence," Derek O'Brien later tweeted.
Insisting that the rules were not being followed, Mr O' Brien, whose point of order was not accepted, said "This is a brutal murder of the Parliamentary democratic system".
In a video statement, Mr O'Brien who could earlier be seen waving the rule book, later said the Rajya Sabha TV was "cut off" and censored". "The members of the opposition asked for a vote. We were denied it... It is a historic day, in the worst sense," he tweeted.
The opposition, which lacked the numbers to block the bills, had demanded that the bills be sent to a select committee for further discussion.
"Mahabharat has broken out inside parliament," Congress's Ghulam Nabi Azad said.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had tweeted: "For decades, the Indian farmer was bound by various constraints and bullied by middlemen. The bills passed by Parliament liberate the farmers from such adversities. These bills will add impetus to the efforts to double income of farmers and ensure greater prosperity for them".
Another tweet from him read: "I said it earlier and I say it once again: System of MSP will remain. Government procurement will continue. We are here to serve our farmers. We will do everything possible to support them and ensure a better life for their coming generations".
