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Oppn stalls Lok Sabha over black money
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 25
Protesting government’s failure to retrieve black money as promised, a united Opposition today drove the Lok Sabha to a historic low trying every possible trick in the book to disrupt proceedings.

Venkaiah Naidu, Parliamentary Affairs Minister

From using black umbrellas as props for wrecking proceedings to sloganeering, booing and eventually clapping, the agitation by members of Trinamool Congress, Congress and SP got worse as the Zero Hour was called to order at 12 following half an hour adjournment of the Question Hour. In the ensuing the battle of nerves between the protesters and Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, the latter prevailed refusing to call the business off and conducting Zero Hour as scheduled. In the meanwhile, a desperate Opposition camp, perched in the Well of the House, oscillated between anti-Prime Minister Narendra Modi slogans on black money to booing and eventually clapping.

“Kaala dhan vaapis lao…Achhe din kahan gaye… PM kahan gaye…tanashahi nahi chalegi…” were some of the slogans heard in the din as the Trinamool Congress led the notorious agitation, first by flashing black umbrellas inside the House and later by lowering the standard of the protest by boos, shouts and claps.

While the booing brigade was led by TMC’s first-time MP Idnish Ali, whose anti-Taslima Nasrreen protests have in the past led to Army deployment in West Bengal, the clapping camp was led again by TMC’s actress-MP Shatabadi Roy. Earlier, among TMC members to sport black umbrellas was the doctor-parliamentarian Kakoli Ghosh.

The Congress was restrained in its protests with young MPs like Deepender Hooda, Rajeev Satav, Sushmita Dev, Tarun Gogoi and Jyotiraditya Scindia leading the pack as party chief Sonia Gandhi watched from her seat. It was interesting to see agitators summon AAP’s Bhagwant Mann for some vocal support as young Opposition MPs took turns to lead the sloganeering pack, finding it hard to sustain the impact. Throughout an hour of din, the Speaker kept asking the protesters if they wanted to discuss the black money issue. No response forthcoming, she continued with the Zero Hour while the government said it was ready to debate the matter.

"The UPA ruled for 10 years and did nothing about black money. We have in six months taken a lot of steps. We have nothing to hide and are ready to debate the matter under whichever rule the Chair permits,” said Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu as the Opposition MPs looked the other way with TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee saying, “What is there to discuss. You said you will bring black money back in 100 days. Where is it?”

Though the Opposition may not have managed a full day of disruption in the Lok Sabha, it did succeed in cornering the government with Naidu on the defensive. Even after the House wound up for lunch at 1 pm, the Opposition seemed in no mood to oblige.

Speaker’s plea goes unheeded

The Speaker kept asking the protesters if they wanted to discuss the black money issue

When there was no response, she continued with the Zero Hour

On its part, the government said it was ready for a debate