Motion on Goa Governor's conduct sought to be changed into a short-duration discussion: Digvijaya Singh

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh claimed on Monday that a substantive motion to discuss the conduct of Goa Governor is being sought to be changed into a short-duration discussion.

When the Rajya Sabha met for the day, Singh said his substantive motion on the conduct of Goa Governor, who “chose to ignore” the single largest party by inviting the BJP to form government in the state, was admitted but no date has been given for a discussion.

“Now I am being asked to change the substantive motion into a short duration discussion,” he said. 

“I will not accept (that).”

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said the Chair has not asked him to change the motion.

Before taking up a discussion, the Leader of the House has to consult the Chairman and the time has to be fixed, Singh said.

He said when Leader of the House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was Leader of Opposition, the then UPA government had accepted his demand for a debate on the conduct of the then Bihar Governor, who had to resign after that.

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Kurien said it was true that he had himself advised Singh to bring a substantive motion if he wanted to discuss the conduct of a Governor.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi too had then said that the government has no objection if a substantive motion is brought, he said, adding that the time and date for a discussion after such a motion is admitted is to be decided in consultation with the Leader of the House.

Kurien went on to quote the rule under which such a practice is followed, after Singh sought to know under which rule should the Leader of the House be consulted for deciding on a time and date for a discussion.

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Jairam Ramesh (Cong) wanted to know about the fate of the notice for a short-duration discussion he gave on biometric identifier Aadhaar. The matter was listed last week but postponed due to unavailability of Jaitley, he said.

Kurien said the discussion was listed on March 22 but since that day was inconvenient to the minister, it was postponed. Now it is listed for March 29.