Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 pm as Opposition protests against Election Laws (Amendment) Bill

As soon as the House met in the morning, and after various ministers had tabled reports of committees listed against their names, Chairman Venkaiah Naidu announced that the House would take up for consideration and passing the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021, that seeks to link the electoral roll data with the Aadhar ecosystem.

Chairman Naidu said the Bill had been passed by the Lok Sabha yesterday and the Business Advisory Committee had accepted it. He announced a three-hour discussion on the Bill.

The Opposition began protesting the Bill that had been passed amid din in the Lok Sabha.

Chairman Naidu said that the Business Advisory Committee had discussed it on Monday and accepted it, and those who wanted to boycott the House proceedings were welcome to do so.

He also said that he had received 267 notices which he was not admitting.

“Let the House be in order and transact business,” he said.

Then Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge got up to ask why they should accept the Bill.

Chairman Naidu said: “The BAC has accepted it, we have nothing to say.”

Then he announced adjournment of the House till 2 pm.

The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021, piloted by Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, was passed by a voice vote after a brief discussion in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

A Business Advisory Committee Meeting of the Rajya Sabha was called on Monday evening for allocation of time for discussing the Bill passed by the Lok Sabha.

However, the Opposition parties boycotted the BAC meeting, saying it had been called at very short notice.

Opposition members have demanded that the Bill be referred to a Joint Parliamentary Select Committee for scrutiny.