Friends, a very interesting story has emerged after the passing of Triple Talaq Bill in Rajya Sabha. One Rajya Sabha MP from Mamta Banerjee’s party TMC, which has put Derek O’Brien in the limelight for the right or wrong reason, that you have to judge yourself.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) lawmaker Derek O’Brien yesterday slammed the government over what the opposition has called the “hurried” passage of bills in the ongoing parliament session. The attack comes a day after the bill to ban triple talaq sailed through in opposition dominated Rajya Sabha.
“Parliament is supposed to scrutinize Bills. Are we delivering pizzas or passing legislation?” he tweeted on Wednesday.
Three days, three bills. It’s like delivering pizza,” he said.
Derek O’Brien, one of Mamata Banerjee’s most-trusted party leaders, said the way the bills were being passed amounted to a “mockery of Parliament” and that it was the government’s way of “smothering” the opposition.
Tuesday’s passage of the the Triple Talaq Bill in the upper house was aided by a series of walkouts and abstentism. The bill, which sought to end the practice of Muslim men instantly divorcing their wives by uttering “talaq” thrice, saw stiff opposition when it was presented in the Lok Sabha. But several of the parties that opposed it – including Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (U), AIADMK and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) – ended up aiding the bill’s passage.
While the AIADMK and JD (U) walked out, TRS and Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP stayed away from voting, bringing down the majority mark.
A number of opposition lawmakers abstained from voting. While 12 of the 13 Trinamool Congress members in the Rajya Sabha voted, one lawmaker – KD Singh – stayed away.
Last week Derek O’Brien said that the govt its brute majority in Lok Sabha to pass the “faulty RTI Bill”.The Bill passed the Rajya Sabha test too despite the opposition’s objections. “Parliament has to scrutinise. It needs time for scrutiny.
In my opinion, Derek O’Brien is forgetting that the Triple talaq bill was also tabled in Parliament during first term of PM Modi also, but full opposition stalled the bill after creating hungama in Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha has already passed that bill then also. So all the members are aware what was there in bill, so how much more time you needed. The problem with opposition is that they want to delay all the bills by referring to scrutiny committee. Now opposition is getting worried because NDA has started getting bills passed in the Rajya Sabha, although NDA is not having majority in that house. But some opposition members from certain parties have realised that the importance of certain bills, and indirectly they have started supporting NDA. The opposition should realise that in the 21st century, the general public is in no mood to wait, they are in hurry. Parliamentarian can not sit on the bills for the ages and secondly people have voted NDA to power with thumping majority and may be in near future they will also have majority in Rajya Sabha also, and if members like Derek O’Brien are caught sleeping because that want more time to study the bills, then God help them . MPs are paid very high salary, allowances and life time pension, so they must work like any other executive/bureaucrat and perform. Let Parliament work, and do not create nuisance in the house.
I would like to share some of the comments which general public has posted on the net after reading Derek O’Brien outburst on passing the bills
1 So what u want? Bill should hang for years before it’s use itself get expired?? You have stopped enough in last government. Feel the pinch of working nation.
2 The country of 1.3 billion citizens need fast Pace reforms. Gone are the days of laal salaam and snail paced spineless politicians who were indecisive in their actions or decisions. You need to be fast in bringing reform ideas , evaluate and move the bill.
3 Derek O Brien, why are you blaming the ruling party, AIADMK and JDU were absent, PDP did not vote, your own party member KD Singh was absent – that clearly shows that most of the members wanted this bill to pass . We the citizen of India are happy that this government is not wasting tax payers money and taking the best decision at the earliest.
4 Derek O’Brien don’t waste your quiz brain here in Parliament . This is how the Parliament should work instead of keeping the issues pending . The Judiciary too should take a lesson from this fast pace BJP working style.
5 Get the numbers if you want to challenge that. People have voted BJP to power and they have the right and the required numbers to pass the bills.
6 Why did it not bother Mr. Derek, when at times it was, months and practically no bills? Did he ever think what it cost the nation to hijack the parliament under a political design, using the tools of noise, din and confusion to paralyse the Parliament?
7 The honourable Members of Parliament are paid to study and frame laws. They are not there on a paid holiday. The sooner O’Brien understands this the better for him. Why doesn’t he burn some midnight oil and study the bills?
8 It’s not pizza delivery. But it is the way a government and parliamentarians should deliver their efforts and results. Unfortunately all our previous governments and MPs came to Parliament (LS & RS), had nice coffee and left. And got their salary accurately.
9 So if the government works and passes bills, it is a problem. And if government does not work, it is a problem. What should government do?
Above comments, indicates the general feeling/mood of the public on this matter.
So friends, what is your opinion on this matter.
Please do post your views/ feed backs/comments.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
1st Aug 2019
R. N. Mungale.
Opposition for opposition’s sake is deplorable.