Sharing a newspaper report that is contradictory to Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman’s claim that the Opposition wasn’t in their seat while demanding a division vote to the contentious farm bills, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrote: “Here is proof that democracy in India is dead.”
Rahul Gandhi, further, on Monday, 28 September tweeted:
“The agriculture laws are a death sentence to our farmers. Their voice is crushed in Parliament and outside.”
What RSTV Footage Shows
Previously, the government had claimed that rules were followed during the voting of farm bills in Rajya Sabha on 20 September. Deputy Chairman Harivansh said that the demand for voting wasn’t made by members from their respective seats.
During the ruckus in the House, the deputy chairman was heard saying that members have to be in their seats to demand a division of votes.
However, official footage of Rajya Sabha TV, accessed by NDTV, shows otherwise.
The footage shows that on two instances, two members – DMK’s Tiruchi Siva and CPM’s KK Ragesh – were in their seats during the call for division of votes. This is in contrast with what the government said had happened.
Amid massive farmer protests across India, President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday, 27 September, gave his assent to the three contentious farm bills.
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