Determined to corner the Narendra Modi Government on the issue of imposing President’s Rule in Uttrakhand and Arunachal Pradesh, the Congress on Monday raised a din in Parliament. Agitated members including Congress President Sonia Gandhi raised slogans in the lok Sabha while her party colleagues repeatedly stormed into the well of the Rajya Sabha leading to repeated adjournments.
However, Home Minister Rajnath Singh rejected the Congress objections on President’s Rule.
In the lok Sabha, leader of Congress Mallikarjun Kharge and his party colleagues staged a dharna in the Well as their notice for adjournment motion on the issue was rejected by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. “It is a murder of democracy,” Kharge said as the lower House assembled for the day adding he had given a notice for an adjournment motion on the issue. Members of JD(U) and AAP were also in the Well along with Congress.
As the treasury benches vociferously protested against Congress claim, Kharge charged that the Union Government was purchasing MlAs, pressurising MlAs to install BJP Government “by killing constitution.”
The Speaker reminded Kharge that the matter is before the Supreme Court and hence he should not say anything further. Congress leader, however, contended that he was referring to the action of the Central Government and not the ruling of Uttarakhand High Court which had revoked the President’s Rule. The Supreme Court later stayed the High Court’s order till April 27.
He said the BJP-led Government at the Centre celebrates the Constitution Day and birthday of key architect of the document B R Ambedkar, while it has “destabilised” democratically-elected Governments in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. BJD’s B Mahtab said his party has also given notice on the issue. While expressing confidence that the court will deliver justice, Mahtab said his party was against “arbitrary use of Article 356.”
Rejecting Congress charge, Rajnath Singh said the “crisis” in Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh was not been created by NDA or BJP. “It is an internal crisis of their party,” he said and welcomed Speaker’s decision that the issue cannot be raised in the present format as it is under consideration of the apex court.
Raising the matter in the Rajya Sabha, leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the Central Government was not interested in smooth functioning of Parliament and charged the treasury benches of “deliberately provoking” the Opposition and “inducing” disruption so that the House does not run.
He said the Government “deliberately creates an atmosphere” before commencement of Parliament session so that it does not run as seen in the last one year. Backing his argument, Azad said during Winter Session, the duly-elected Arunachal Pradesh Government was “brought down” and the Centre did not stop till it installed its own Government there.
As Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi objected to the raising of the Uttrakhand issue saying the matter was sub-judice, Azad said the Centre “which disrespects the court, cannot be trusted.”
Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) countered Naqvi saying leader of the House Arun Jaitley had said in the last session that discussion on issues, even if sub-judice, cannot be prevented in the House. “Apply your own precedents,” he said.
Anand Sharma (Congress) said the Centre used proclamation of President’s rule to disturb an elected Government and said his party will raise the issue and discuss it in the House. Jaitley asked Congress members to debate the issue when the proclamation comes up for discussion.
“It will come up for discussion before the House. Therefore, when the proclamation comes up, please disucss it. But today, you cannot by an alternative motion anticipate a discussion which is to take place when the proclamation comes up. You cannot discuss it at the pre-proclamation stage,” Jaitley said.
However, Congress members did not relent and several of them trooped into the Well shouting slogans. Deputy Chairman adjourned the proceedings for 15 minutes in the Zero Hour and when similar scenes were seen during Question Hour, Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned the House till 2.00 pm. Congress were in mood to let the House function in the post lunch and Kurien finally adjourned the House for the day at three pm after two adjournments earlier.