The BJP and the Congress members pushed and shoved each other in the Lok Sabha on Monday as a slogan-shouting Opposition demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his alleged failure to check communal violence in Delhi.
Speaker Om Birla suspended House proceedings thrice before adjourning it for the day. MPs from both sides complained to the Speaker over their alleged manhandling inside the House.
The Rajya Sabha too was adjourned with Opposition members accusing the Government of “sleeping” while the national Capital burnt in communal riots.
Amid heated exchanges in the Lok Sabha, some women members insisted their alleged manhandling was on account of their being Dalits, and lodged complained to the Speaker.
Congress member Ramya Haridas lodged a complain that she was assaulted by a BJP woman MP inside the Lower House and sought immediate action over the matter.
“On March 2, at 3 pm, inside Lok Sabha, I was physically assaulted by MP Jaskaur Meena (BJP parliamentarian from Rajasthan),” Haridas said in her complaint.
In her complaint to Birla, she asked if such things were repeatedly happening to her because she was a Dalit and a woman. She sought action against Meena who incidentally also comes from Dalit background.
Meena dismissed the allegations as false. “As she opened the banner in Lok Sabha, it hit me on my head. I asked her to move ahead. I didn’t hit or push her. If she says she is using ‘Dalit’ word, then I’m also a Dalit woman,” she said.
During the Winter Session last year, the Congress had alleged that two of its women parliamentarians, including Haridas, were “manhandled” by marshals in the Lok Sabha when they were protesting in the Well of the House over the Maharashtra Government formation. Both the MPs had lodged a complaint with Speaker Birla.
Union Minister Smriti Irani alleged that Congress MPs in Lok Sabha misbehaved with BJP women members, who also complained to the Speaker against some Opposition party lawmakers.
“Congress MPs misbehaved with BJP women MPs in the Lok Sabha. I would appeal to the Speaker (Om Birla) to take the strongest possible action against them,” Irani told reporters outside Parliament.
“For the past two to three sessions ‘goonda’ elements of the Congress are disrupting Parliament proceedings,” she said, adding that the action of Congress members in Parliament shows the desperation of the Gandhi family.”
The mood in the Lower House was set with the word go as Congress members stormed the Well shouting slogans against Shah and demanding that he steps down for allegedly not taking timely action against rioters in Delhi.
In turn the treasury side accused senior Congress leaders of inciting violence by their provocative statements.
Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said the issue was definitely important, but the priority should be to restore normalcy and then discuss ways and means of preventing it. The House was adjourned till 2 pm.
As the Upper House re-assembled at 2 pm Opposition MPs including those belonging to the Congress, AAP, Left, TMC, SP, BSP and DMK were up on their feet with several shouting slogans and accusing the Government of failing in its duty in controlling violence which has so far claimed 47 lives in North-East Delhi. The House was thereafter adjourned for the day.
The Lok Sabha witnessed dramatic events when it resumed proceedings at 2 pm with the BJP and the Congress members pushing and shoving each others. .
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi condemned their “unruly behaviour” and asked the Speaker to continue with proceedings.
Joshi alleged that “these are the people who have provoked the riots. They murdered 3,000 people in 1984 (riots) and did no investigation. The priority is to restore peace... But they want to create tension.”
Seeking to restore normalcy in the House, Birla asked Opposition members who were in the Well to take their seats even as they continued to shout “we want justice” and “Amit Shah Murdabad” (Down with Amit Shah).
They were also holding placards saying “stop hate speech, save our India”.
The verbal clash seemed to turn physical as Congress’ Gaurav Gogoi and Ravneet Singh Bittu holding the black banner went to the Treasury benches where BJP’s Sanjay Jaiswal was speaking on ‘Vivaad Se Vishwas’ Bill and criticising Congress and its leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
BJP members, including Ramesh Bidhuri and Nishikant Dubey, asked Congress MPs to return to the Well.
Some Congress members tore papers and hurled them in the air that further provoked BJP MPs with many rushing towards the Congress benches .
Members from both sides then began pushing and shoving each other following which the proceedings were adjourned till 3 pm by the Speaker.
Union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Smriti Irani were seen trying to pacify the agitated members.
Congress president Sonia and party leader Rahul were present in the House during the uproar.
When the House reassembled at 3 pm, some BJP members were seen blocking the way to their side of the Well. Congress member Ramya Haridas complained about being manhandled by BJP members.
BJP’s Rama Devi, who was in the Chair, adjourned the House again till 4 pm saying “whatever you have done is wrong”.
But the ruckus continued when the House again met and it was adjourned till 4.30 pm by the Chair.
However, the slogan-shouting by the BJP members continued even after the adjournment.
They chanted slogans like “Desh ki raksha kaun karega, hum karenge hum karenge (Who will defend the nation, we will do it)” and “Mahatma Gandhi amar rahein, nakli Gandhi jail mein rahein (Long live Mahatma Gandhi, fake Gandhis stay in jail)”.
Some Opposition members placed a placard demanding Shah’s resignation on the Speaker’s table but it was swiftly removed by the staff.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned thrice till 4.30 pm amid continuing ruckus. Birla said he is pained by what has happened during the day, before adjourning the House till Tuesday.