A standoff between the Opposition and the Government is brewing over Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti’s controversial remarks made during a poll campaign in Delhi on Monday. The Minister tendered an apology in both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday, but it failed to satisfy the Opposition parties, which want her to either resign or be dismissed over the issue.
An indication that the issue could lead to a face-off between the Opposition and the Government came from the Congress, Trinamool and left which seemed determined to disrupt the House to press for action against the Minister. The Government has said the matter should be considered closed after her apology.
Upset over her unsavoury comments, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked BJP MPs to avoid making uncalled for statements. He was addressing the party MPs at the BJP Parliamentary Board meeting.While the Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day after lunch after repeated disruptions, the lok Sabha functioned after the Minister apologised for her remarks.
Chief Whip of Congress Party in Rajya Sabha Satyavrat Chaturvedi said that this is a serious issue and nothing less than the resignation of the Minister will be accepted. “We will not allow any business until the Minister is sacked. It is high time that we raise the matter in the interest of the country. Some Minister uses abusive words, another asks a particular community to go to Pakistan. What is happening,” Chaturvedi told The Pioneer.
When asked about the Congress’ stand on important Bills like the Insurance Bill, he said. “No business means nothing, so where is the question of the Insurance Bill.”
Echoing similar views, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters outside the House that his party as well as the entire Opposition would stick to the demand for resignation or dismissal of the Minister .To a question on less vocal protests in the lok Sabha on the matter, Yechury said: “This is called tyranny of majority. With the help of their majority in lok Sabha, they hushed up the protests of the Opposition. We have been co-operating with the Government in running Parliament. In Rajya Sabha, in two days, five Bills were legislated properly. This has never happened in the recent times. But after this Sadhvi incident, things will not be the same.”
As soon as the lok Sabha met for the day, agitated Opposition members, including those from the Congress, Trinamool Congress and SP, rushed to the Well of the House shouting slogans even as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan continued with the Question Hour. A similar scene was witnessed in Rajya Sabha.
Thereafter, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu met the Minister and directed her to express regrets.In the lS, leader of Congress Mallikarjun Kharge reminded Speaker Sumitra Mahajan of the adjournment notices given by him and his party colleagues over the issue. The Speaker rejected the notices saying the members could raise the issue during Zero Hour.
After the House resumed its proceedings following a brief adjournment, Naidu intervened saying “it is a serious issue” as per what is published and spoken on TV.” He said the MP (Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti) had been spoken to and she was ready to express her regrets. Thereafter, the Minister rose and expressed her regrets over the comments. “My intention was not to hurt anyone. If my speech outside the House has hurt anyone, I express my deep regrets and accept,” she said.
“A mere apology will not suffice. She will have to resign,” was the refrain of the Opposition members who stormed into the Well demanding her sacking.
In Rajya Sabha, the Government urged the Opposition to let the House function after the Minister had apologised, but the agitated MPs from Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP), Trinamool Congress (TMC), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Janata Dal-United(JD-U) and the left said nothing short of her dismissal would do. They warned that unless this step is taken, the Rajya Sabha will not be allowed to function.
Congress, SP and JD-U time and again trooped into the Well of the House leading to five adjournments. The Zero and Question Hours were a casualty as the Opposition did not relent and finally the Chair adjourned the proceedings for the day shortly after lunch.
The Opposition members also demanded an FIR against Jyoti for allegedly violating the oath to Constitution as a Minister and fanning communal passions. leaders including Sitaram Yechury argued that Jyoti’s apology tantamounts to her accepting her act and an FIR should be registered against the Minister.
Almost all the Opposition leaders including BSP supremo Mayawati, Congress leader Anand Sharma, JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav, Ram Gopal Yadav (SP), D Raja (CPI) and others backed this stance whereas another Congress leader Digvijay Singh said the Minister’s statement was a crime under Section 153A of IPC. This section relates to promoting enmity amongst communities on grounds of religion.
leader of the House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley rejected the Opposition’s contention and said “tendering an apology does not mean acceptance of crime.” While terming Jyoti’s remarks as “improper and not acceptable,” he said the matter should end after she withdrew her remarks.
Countering the Opposition’s demand for legal action, Jaitley said the House cannot decide whether her action was criminal in nature and it should be left for the agencies outside Parliament. This observation led to sharp exchanges between Yechury and Jaitley. He also said the Rajya Sabha does not discuss sub-judice matters and issues of this nature. However, Anand Sharma took a dig at him and said while in Opposition, Jaitley and his party had repeatedly raised sub-judice issues in Parliament.
Under all round attack from Opposition benches, Jyoti said in Rajya Sabha: “If certain words spoken by me outside the House have hurt someone, I take back my words and offer regrets.”
The Opposition, however, was not satisfied and sought her resignation or dismissal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They also demanded a clarification from Modi and lamented that he was not attending the Upper House. Yechury quipped, the Government forget about bringing back black money, but the Prime Minister should be brought back to the House. “Where is the Prime MinisterIJ We see him only on the television or in the newspapers,” Sharma said.