Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday said those seeking suspension of business to discuss a topic under Rule 267 must provide a justification, adding another layer to a provision that has not been allowed to be invoked in close to six years.

Rule 267 provides for the suspension of listed business to discuss a subject raised by one or more members.

It was last allowed in 2016 after the demonetisation, when Hamid Ansari was Rajya Sabha Chairman. During his tenure as Chairman, then Vice-Presidet M.Venkaiah Naidu did not permit any discussion on Rule 267.

Rule 267 says a member can move a motion with the consent of the Chairman for suspending other rules and businesses listed under them for the time being for discussion on an issue moved by the member.

Dhankhar laid down on Thursday that those seeking a discussion under Rule 267 must furnish a justification for the suspension of other business and also specifically mention which business the member wants suspended.

Dhankhar asked the members to also make it clear why a particular issue cannot be raised under any other rule.

“The rule does say, ‘it can be raised with the consent of the Chairman’, and that part is complied with for the reason it has been put to me. And, it says, ‘any rule may be suspended’. In not a single notice, there is a reflection as to which rule is sought to be suspended. Now, this House has to emanate a signal to everyone and other theatres. We must engage, at least, in minimum compliance. I must get assistance as to which rule the member wants to be suspended. Number two, the premise on which the rule is required to be suspended by the member,” Dhankhar said.

He was responding to a request to invoke Rule 267 from CPI member Binoy Viswam, Congress MP Rajani Patil andShiv Sena parliamentarian Priyanka Chaturvedi to discuss the ongoing border dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Trinamul Congress leader Derek O’Brien said Rule 267 was last used in November 2016, just after the demonetisation. During the last monsoon session of Parliament, the long gap in invoking Rule 267 had come up when Naidu was Chairman.

Some members wanted discussions on price rise and the increase in GST on pre-packed grains under Rule 267. But Naidu had asked the members to move the demand for discussion under some other rule.

Earlier in April 2015, the House had taken up for discussion under Rule 267 the agrarian crisis in various parts of the country.

On August 10, 2016, the Rajya Sabha had discussed the situation in Kashmir under the rule. In the last six years, the Opposition has demanded discussions under Rules 267 on issues such as Pegasus snooping, hate speech, attacks on Dalits and minorities and price rise.