Lalu Prasad Yadav was the “Prime Minister” and Gopinath Munde was the “Speaker”. This was the scene in the Lok Sabha after it was adjourned for the day on Friday in view of the uproar created by members over the salary hike demand and the protest against the passage of the Medical Council of India Bill without discussion.
Meanwhile, Speaker Meira Kumar disapproved of the mock parliamentary proceedings. “It is a temple of democracy that should be treated with utmost reverence,” Ms Kumar said when asked about the “proceedings” in the Lok Sabha after it was adjourned for the day.
As soon as deputy speaker Karia Munda adjourned the House, members from the RJD, SP and BJP staged a dharna inside the Well. Later, they staged a mock session in which Mr Munde, the deputy leader of the BJP in the Lok Sabha, became the Speaker and RJD chief Lalu Yadav posed as the PM. Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav was given the task of ensuring the smooth functioning of the mock session.
During this mock session, in which about 70 MPs participated, “debates” were held, including on the Indian Medical Council bill. Ms Maneka Gandhi (BJP) spoke during the “debate”. After some time, she was asked by “Speaker” Munde to wind up her speech because of paucity of time.
“I was elected Prime Minister for today. We will see what is to be done tomorrow. I heard the views of the ‘House’ and the people’s government decided to reject outright the bills cleared today,” Mr Prasad later told reporters. “There was no Leader of the Opposition (in the mock session) as it was a national government,” said the former Bihar CM, who has always nurtured prime ministerial ambition. Interestingly, the RJD’s strength in the Lower House is merely four.
Mr Lalu Yadav, while providing the details of the deliberations during the mock session, said the “members of the new government” will meet again on Saturday at 10 am and discuss the salary hike and other bills.
Mr Yadav said the “people’s government” was formed as the government was acting in an “undemocratic and unconstitutional” manner by clearing two important bills without debate and not accepting the demands of the members.
Besides the Medical Council bill, the House approved amendments made through the Trade Marks (Amendment) Bill by voice vote.