New Delhi: Just before the commencement of the debate on the no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha, the largest Opposition party Congress accused the Speaker Sumitra Mahajan of being unfair in allotting too little time to them in the discussion, saying that the entire exercise could not be treated as Question Hour.
The 32 minutes allotted to his party is grossly inadequate, Leader of the Congress in the lower house, Mr Mallikarjun Kharge said on Friday.
A few minutes to each speaker is not enough to raise the host of issues, including those affecting farmers, women and dalits, he added. Some parties have been allotted 25 minutes and some just 15 minutes, Mr Kharge pointed out. “There is a problem of farmers, dalit issues, women issues. Can these issues be explained in one minute. You need at least half an hour for each speaker. The biggest party is being allotted 32 minutes by the speaker and they say the allotment is as per rules,” he told reporters outside Parliament. The Speaker, he said, can bring an amendment in rules.
“The debate on the no-confidence motion cannot be treated as Question Hour. Even small bills are allotted six-seven hours,” the Congress leader added. Congress and other parties indicated that they are keen to utilise the debate to attack the government on issues like including farm distress, slow economic growth and the rising incidents of lynching.
