Rajya Sabha’s earlier circulars puncture Opposition arguments on Parliament censorship

By Payal Mehta
New Delhi [India], July 15 (ANI): The Opposition parties have created a huge ruckus over the statement that was put through a Parliamentary Bulletin on Thursday evening saying that no dharna would be allowed in Parliament.
"Members cannot use the precincts of the House for any demonstration, dharna strike, fast, or for the purpose of performing any religious ceremony. Kind cooperation of members is solicited," the circular stated.
Several members of Parliament, including Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh, took to Twitter to criticize this move.
However, several documents have been put out in the public domain to show that this is not the first time such a circular has been brought out.
"Many such circulars that were issued during the UPA regime are in the public domain. Of those one was brought out on December 2, 2013, and the second one on February 3, 2014," said sources.
This is yet another baseless issue brought up by the Opposition, sources in the government pointed out and said that people like Jairam Ramesh should remember that when such circulars were brought out in the past he was part of the government as a Minister.
BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya shared a circular for 2013 and 2014 on Twitter and said, "Who was in office in 2013 and 2014? UPA. Who issued circulars that there would be no dharnas in the Parliament? UPA. We know Congress has a marginalised presence in Parliament but the least they can do is remember their own track record while in office. Or has it been too long?"
Sources in the Rajya Sabha pointed out that "these are the circulars that are regularly brought out from time to time to keep members advised about their conduct in the House and in Parliament complex. Since the whole country is watching what is happening in the Parliament and that every political party should avoid any politics over such matters."
This comes following shortly after an uproar by the Opposition parties over the Lok Sabha Secretariat releasing a booklet with a list of the words and expressions that will be considered unparliamentary in both Houses of Parliament, ahead of the Monsoon Session beginning July 18.
Some such words are 'corruption', 'corrupt', 'Jumlajeevi', 'tanashah', 'Dictator', 'black' and 'Khalistani' among others. The Opposition raised their concern, following which on Thursday, Lok Sabha Speaker held a press briefing calling such reports, regular practice since 1954. (ANI)