LS passes Delhi services Bill amid ruckus; AAP MP suspended
The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Delhi Services Bill by a voice vote amid a walkout by Opposition parties.
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), and Shiromani Akali Dal, which are aligned with neither of the two big alliances, supported the government on the Bill.
Developments during the day suggested that normalcy would return for the remainder of the monsoon session of Parliament. The session is left with six working days and ends on August 11.
The support of the YSRCP and BJD will be crucial for the contentious Bill’s passage next week in the Rajya Sabha. The government lacks a simple majority in the Upper House. The two parties together have 18 MPs in the Rajya Sabha.
BJD’s Pinaki Misra said his party continued to fight the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the ground in Odisha, but supported the Bill since the Centre had certain exclusive jurisdiction over Delhi under the Constitution.
He said his party would oppose the Opposition’s no-confidence motion too as it was not “warranted” at the current juncture.
While the morning session was disrupted on the Manipur issue, the Rajya Sabha passed three Bills, including the Advocates (Amendment), Press and Registration of Periodicals and Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bills.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar met Opposition MPs during the day to break the logjam in the House.