Hundred members of 12 parties of the Opposition gave a notice of no-confidence motion against Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Harivansh Singh. The 12 parties have accused the Chairman of violating parliamentary procedures for passing farm bills swiftly and ignoring all demands by the Opposition of proper voting. The Opposition also accused the government of using the Chairman as a rubber stamp.

MPs from the Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK, RJD, TRS, NCP, AAP, CPI, CPI (M), JD (S), IUML and Kerala Congress (Mani) passed the no-confidence motion against the Chairman.

However, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkiah Naidu also rejected the no-confidence motion saying the motion was non-admissible under Article 90 of the Constitution.

Also read:Crucial farm bills passed in Rajya Sabha amid ruckus by Opposition who term it anti-farmer, pro-corporate

The motion read, When the agitated members, on being denied the right for a division on this crucial bill protested strongly pointing out how gravely the bill is against the farmer’s interest, the Deputy Chairperson packed the house with security personnel deliberately designed to overawe and outnumber the members of the opposition.

Senior Congress MP Jairam Ramesh tweeted, Deputy Chairman of RS has been a very close personal friend of mine for long. Till July 2017 he was a bitter critic of the PM, until his party abandoned the grand alliance in Bihar. Since then he has become an unthinking rubber stamp in the important position he occupies. Very sad.

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O? Brien tweeted, Yes. An Opposition MP broke a microphone in the Rajya Sabha. Today, BJP tried to break the back of yet another great institution of our democracy #Parliament. Basic rights of MPs guaranteed by Constitution snatched. No vote allowed in RS on #farmersbill.