New Delhi:
Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal on Tuesday moved the copyright (amendment) bill in the Rajya Sabha but it could not be taken up for discussion due to adjournment forced by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members. He later slammed the opposition party which accused him of using "language of arrogance".
The adjournment followed the BJP members' demand for the resignation of Home Minister P. Chidambaram for allegedly helping a Delhi-based hotelier in getting police complaints against him withdrawn.
Sibal moved the Copyright (Amendment) Bill, 2010 amid din in the post-lunch session in the house. The Rajya Sabha was later adjourned for half an hour and then for the day.
The minister later condemned the BJP for disrupting proceedings and "not letting" the house discusses the bill.
The BJP, however, accused the minister of using "language of arrogance" and said he should introspect why some bills relating only to his ministry were pending.
Sibal said the government worked for the people and the copyright bill would help protect rights of creative writers and others in creative business.
"The legislation is against music companies... why should that be stopped. Obviously there is some other political agenda," Sibal told reporters.
"Debate it. You can't obstruct the house," he said.
The minister said people-centric legislations of his ministry, including the architects (amendment) bill, the institutes of technology (amendment) bill and the national institutes of technology (amendment) bill, were pending.
Sibal also defended Chidambaram, saying he was a "valued colleague and a man of integrity" and there was no charge against him.
BJP leader Prakash Javadekar did not name Sibal but said a minister whose bills had been pending should introspect.
"If the minister is making such remarks (of slamming opposition) it is language of arrogance. Why seven-eight bills of a department are pending. He should introspect," Javadekar told reporters.
He said the BJP had concerns on some of the bills of Sibal's ministry but he can bring the bills on which there was a broad agreement.
He said that the party was on Tuesday protesting against Chidambaram.
The BJP leader, however, objected to Sibal moving the coyright bill for consideration, saying that the chair's ruling was pending on the issue of "conflict of interest" concerning the home minister raised by Janata Dal-United member Shivanand Tewari.