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Left parties, JD let loose turmoil in RS over patents

The controversial Patents (Amendment) Bill 1998 was taken up for consideration in the Rajya Sabha today with Chairman Krishna Kant allowing members to speak on their amendments amidst scenes of uproar.

Earlier, the Janata Dal members Santan Bisi and S R Bommai said that in 1995 the Lok Sabha had passed the bill while the Rajya Sabha had referred the matter to the select committee. Since the tenth Lok Sabha was dissolved, the select committee did not give its report. Pending the report of the select committee, the House cannot discuss the bill, they said.

The chairman, however, ruled against this plea.

The chairman said that with the dissolution of the tenth Lok Sabha, the bill also lapsed. He accepted the plea of Gurudas Dasgupta of the Communist Party of India and Billava Das Gupta of the Communist Party of India-Marxist to allow them to speak on their amendments.

The House once again witnessed uproarious scenes when the Left members were on their feet to protest what they called ''unparliamentary comments'' from the BJP benches. Several BJP members were on their feet denying the accusation.

The offer of the chairman that he will go through the proceedings to ascertain what has been said did not satisfy the members.

When the situation continued for about half an hour, Kant said that whatever the member had said might not have come on the record of the House because of the noise. But this was unfortunate in the history of the Rajya Sabha. As chairman he said he offered an apology. With these words he adjourned the House for lunch.

In the morning, the Rajya Sabha was thrown into turmoil for more than half an hour over the members' right to present their views while moving amendments to the Patents (Amendment) Bill 1998.

When the bill was moved for consideration in the House by Industry Minister Sikandar Bakht, the Left parties and the Janata Dal members insisted that they should be given right to speak on this sensitive bill while moving their amendments to it.

The members stalled the proceedings for more than 40 minutes and wanted a ruling from the chairman on this issue. While the minister and the BJP members said that there was no provision to allow the members to speak, the Opposition, barring the Congress, vehemently opposed the move and created uproar in the House.

Trouble started when Biplap Dasgupta of the CPI-M informed the House that the amendments to the bill were not circulated to his party members. The JD members also claimed that they have not received the amendments.

However, the BJP and Congress members stated that they have received amendments.

Kant asked the Left party members to collect the amendments from the lobby of the House.

When the matter was sorted out, Gurudas Dasgupta was asked by the chair to move his amendment.

He urged the chair to allow him to speak while moving the amendment. This resulted in pandemonium in the House.

The BJP members said that there is no need to give chance to the members to speak.

Kant said if the motion and amendments are taken together, it is necessary for each member to present his view on the issue.

To this, Dasgupta said it is the fundamental right of the members to air their views while moving amendments.

At the end, the chairman allowed the members to speak briefly. 'I will not prohibit the members to speak on the issue,' he said.

Bakht made a faux pas while moving the bill.

When Kant asked him to move the bill for consideration, Bakht said, ''I move the motion that the bill be passed.''

There was a guffaw from the members.

The minister was told by the chair that he has to move the bill for consideration.

After realising his mistake, the minister moved the bill to amend the Patents Act, 1970.

UNI

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