The Bill would disenfranchise many voters and it was a violation of the right to privacy as guaranteed by the Constitution:Opposition demand to send Bill to panel defeated by voice vote

The Bill would disenfranchise many voters and it was a violation of the right to privacy as guaranteed by the Constitution:Opposition demand to send Bill to panel defeated by voice vote

The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 that seeks to link electoral rolls to the Aadhaar database was passed in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday amidst dramatic scenes, which ended with the suspension of TMC’s Derek O’ Brien after he threw a rule book at the reporters’ table after the Opposition’s motion to send the legislation to a select committee was defeated by a voice vote and a division was denied since the House was not in order.The Opposition said the Bill would disenfranchise many voters and it was a violation of the right to privacy as guaranteed by the Constitution.

John Brittas MP said the onus of bringing the House to order cannot be on the member demanding a division. “I asked the Deputy Chairman that as the custodian of the House, it is his duty to bring it in order. As a member, it is my rightful place to ask for a physical vote on a motion. But today it was denied to me,”

The Trinamool Congress MPs stayed back. Mr. O’ Brien, moving a point of order, said, “Please understand we have all the regard for the Chair and the rules. But you are doing the same thing as you did with the three farm Bills.” He flicked the rulebook towards the reporters’ table in front of the Chair before walking out of the House.

Even if voting had taken place, the Opposition did not have the requisite numbers. Even before the debate on the Bill started, Mr. O’Brien accused the government of “manufacturing majority” by suspending 12 Opposition MPs. Mr. O’Brien, who has been suspended for the remaining days of the winter session that is scheduled to end on December 23, is the 13th Opposition MP to be suspended.

CPI’s Binoy Viswam attacked the government for the suspension of Mr O’Brien. “They began the session by suspending 12 of us. They close the session by suspending one more. What do they think about Parliament? Another silly playground for them? BJP is trying to ridicule Parliament by doing whatever the modern autocratic monarchs want to impose. Shame on them,” he tweeted.