United Democratic Front (UDF) MPs from Kerala on Thursday complained to Speaker Om Birla on the alleged “ attack and manhandling” of them by the Delhi Police when they were leading a protest march from ‘Vijay Chowk’ to the Parliament. against the proposed semi-high-speed K-Rail-Silverline Project in the state.
Raising the issue in Lok Sabha soon after the Question Hour, Congress member K Suresh said a total of 12 MPs, including women parliamentarians, had started their protest march from Vijay Chowk on Thursday morning when Delhi police personnel came and "blocked them without any provocation" and did not allow them to enter the parliament compex.
"We told them we were MPs. They (police) said you (protesting MPs) are shouting slogans. We said it is our right to shout slogans. They assaulted us, manhandled us, pushed us without any provocation," Suresh told Lok Sabha Speaker.
Speaker asked them to give the details on writing and would do the needful on the issue after hearing from the concerned officers.
The SilverLine project of the CPI(M)-led government in Kerala has been facing massive protests over the survey and marking of the corridor boundary, and is embroiled in a political controversy. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital on Thursday.
RSP member N K Premchandran called the incident "unfortunate" and said the police personnel were well aware that all those participating in the protest were MPs, but still did not alow them to enter the Parliament complex.
"This is a question of our privilege. They even came to the precincts of Parliament and prevented us," he said and asked, "What is the authority of Delhi police to forcibly prevent the MPs from entering Parliament."