The Rajya Sabha passed the two contentious farm bills, this Sunday, despite protests from the Opposition parties.
The two bills propose to liberalise the agriculture market and give legal framework to contract farming.
The passing of the bills through voice vote, saw high drama in the house after the Deputy Chairman refused to allow voting on resolutions moved by the Opposition.
Further, Rajya Sabha TV also muted the audio telecast of the proceedings when the opposition MPs were protesting in the house.
This caused a huge uproar on social media with netizens calling it the ‘death of democracy’.
I’ve sent a letter to the CEO of @rajyasabhatv as well as the Rajya Sabha Secretariat asking why the audio feed of the channel was muted y’day during the debate on the 2 Farm Bills between 13:05 to 13:35hrs (and on whose orders).
— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) September 21, 2020
This censorship needs to be nipped in the bud. pic.twitter.com/KfkWD52v8g
What happened in Rajya Sabha is an absolute contempt of Parliamentary proceedings. “Pro-farmer” ordinances by @narendramodi Ji’s Govt are not just fundamentally flawed, but now the Centre is taking away the right to even vote upon them! All one can say is #BJPKilledDemocracy. https://t.co/ZXyGoxRNOf
— Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) September 21, 2020
First #Aadhaar amendment passed as money bill, nullification of #Article370 bulldozed, then question hour cut, now #FarmBills passed thru voice vote. India’s ruling party, convinced of its own invincibility, has reduced Parliament to a sad notice board. #LokSabha #RajyaSabha
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) September 21, 2020
Democracy Shamed!
— Anand Sharma (@AnandSharmaINC) September 20, 2020
Deeply pained by developments in the Rajya Sabha today as all rules and traditions of Parliamentary democracy were pared by the ruling party. Deputy Chairman Harivansh has disgraced his office by his unpardonable conduct.
This happened in Rajya Sabha. We now know why live feed was cut off. https://t.co/zywIgRTXto
— vijaita singh (@vijaita) September 20, 2020
Things that happened in the Rajya Sabha today:
— Andre Borges (@borges) September 20, 2020
– Bills we’re passed even as the opposition protested.
– Requests for a vote were denied.
– The telecast of the entire thing was muted.
– Democracy was further trampled by the ruling govt.
Crazy scenes from Rajya Sabha emerging this afternoon where division vote was denied for MPs.
— Meghnad 🔗 (@Memeghnad) September 20, 2020
Yet another day, when it’s proven that, this govt is not interested in debate or discussion. Now it’s not even interested in voting tbh.
Scenes from the Rajya Sabha today pic.twitter.com/hJBpMKiqP3
— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) September 20, 2020
Senior Officials Parliament Security telling me what they witnessed today inside Rajya Sabha never witnessed ever earlier :))
— Ashish K Singh (ABP News) (@AshishSinghLIVE) September 20, 2020
MPs from the Oppostition parties had urged the government to refer the bills to a select committee for review, but their demands were not accepted.
