Title: Regarding circulation of copies of the statement of the Minister of External Affairs.
(GUNA): The Minister should not take it casually. These are old Parliamentary conventions that copies of Statement, in Hindi and English, are circulated. The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs is taking it casually. It is not correct. … (Interruptions)
: I am sorry to say that at any point of time, in Lok Sabha, copies are not circulated. They are only given to the Secretariat and not to the Members. … (Interruptions) Ask the Secretary-General. He will decide it. I am not the person to decide it. Otherwise, there is no problem for me. I would have circulated the copies to the Members. Former Speaker, Shri Shivraj Patil, is also here. … (Interruptions) You can ask him. … (Interruptions)
SHRI SHIVRAJ V. PATIL (LATUR): As far as my understanding goes, any statement coming from the Minister has to be provided to the Members so that they can study them. It is not only in English but in Hindi also. … (Interruptions)
SHRI MADHAVRAO SCINDIA : Shri Pramod Mahajan is a boy in the Lok Sabha.… (Interruptions)
SHRI PRAMOD MAHAJAN: I am not as old as you are. I checked up with the Secretariat and found that never are these copies given to the Members. What are you talking? … (Interruptions)
SHRI MADHAVRAO SCINDIA : When it is pointed out that the Minister should not be casual about it, he is not prepared to accept it. … (Interruptions) There is no point in losing the temper like this.… (Interruptions)
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: The mood of the Chair is also to lose the temper.
… (Interruptions)
SHRI PRAMOD MAHAJAN: Mr. Deputy-Speaker, Sir, I would request you to clarify the position. … (Interruptions) I would like the Chair to clarify the position for the future. … (Interruptions)
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: I would clarify the position now. Will you please resume your seats?
… (Interruptions) SHRI PRAMOD MAHAJAN: Let the hon. Deputy-Speaker clarify the convention. Then, you will know who is the boy and who is the old person. … (Interruptions)
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: The rule is that copies will have to be given after the Minister makes the statement.
… (Interruptions) SHRI MADHAVRAO SCINDIA : Does this ruling apply for this case only? … (Interruptions)
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: No, this is the general rule.
… (Interruptions)
SHRI MADHAVRAO SCINDIA : Then, it is not correct. You have given the ruling and we will accept it. But this is not the case. … (Interruptions)
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: I have given the ruling that copies will be circulated after the Minister makes the statement.
… (Interruptions) MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: What is this? … (Interruptions)
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Shri Radhakrishnan, copies will be given to you.
… (Interruptions) SHRI VARKALA RADHAKRISHNAN (CHIRAYINKIL): When? … (Interruptions)
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: After the Minister makes the statement.
… (Interruptions) SHRI VARKALA RADHAKRISHNAN : It should be possible for the Government to circulate the copies before the statement is made. … (Interruptions)
श्री रामदास आठवले (पंढरपुर) : उपाध्यक्ष महोदय, जो यू.टी.आई. का घोटाला है, यह बहुत बड़ा घोटाला है।…( व्यवधान)
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Shri Athawale, you will be given a copy.
… (Interruptions)
श्री रामदास आठवले : कॉपी भी चाहिए और इस्तीफा भी चाहिए। हमें वित्त मंत्री जी का इस्तीफा चाहिए। …( व्यवधान)
SHRI SHIVRAJ V. PATIL : I accept your ruling as far as this case is concerned. I am not challenging it. But let the record be correctly presented.
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: It would be correctly presented. I am getting it verified. In this case, I am giving the ruling that copies would be circulated after he makes the statement.
: This ruling is not confined to this case alone.
This ruling may be used in other cases also. That is why, let us be clear on this point. The reason why copies have to be given to the hon. Members is that in the other House, questions are asked by the Members – not one Member but all the Members can ask questions. That is why, when I was sitting in the Chair, the House had been adjourned because copies were not given.… (Interruptions)
SHRI MADHAVRAO SCINDIA : Sir, please listen to him. We will accept your ruling as it is. But let them not feel what the Parliamentary Affairs Minister says is correct. We will accept your ruling. There is no problem about it.
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: My ruling is that after his Statement, copies will be given.
SHRI MADHAVRAO SCINDIA : Shri Shivraj Patil has clarified it in the House itself that the House was once adjourned because copies were not made available.