TMC seeks to raise issue in RS
AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal continued to figure in Parliament on Monday as Trinamool Congress (TMC) raised it in the Rajya Sabha demanding the Government disclose the identity of bribe takers. Matters came to head when Trinamool leader Sukhendu Shekhar Roy insisted on a reply and Chairman Hamid Ansari ordered him to leave the House for the day. Roy’s party colleagues staged a walkout in protest.
In another development, Congress member Shantaram Naik moved a breach of privilege notice against the Government for issuing two Press statements regarding the helicopter scam even as Parliament Session is on. His party colleague Anand Sharma said the Defence Minister should have given a statement in the House instead of uploading them on Press Information Bureau (PIB) website last week.
Sharma also alleged that the Government was misleading through selective leaks to media and sought an enquiry into the leaks of sensitive documents of the CBI, ED and Defence Ministry. Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien said the Chairman will examine the breach of privilege notice and will accordingly give his verdict.
Raising the AgustaWestland issue, which rocked the Rajya Sabha last week with Congress and BJP members engaging in slanging match, Roy said in the Zero Hour, when Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was present in the House, to disclose the identity of bribe takers. Incidentally, the TMC is fighting ongoing West Bengal Assembly elections against the left-Congress alliance.
Even as the Congress stalled proceedings over Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation scam, forcing repeated adjournments in the pre-lunch session, Roy continued to raise the helicopter deal. When the Question Hour began, Roy again stood up to speak and Ansari said the member had already made his point twice.
When Roy did not pay heed and kept on speaking, Ansari invoked Rule 255 to order him to leave the House for the day. Rule 255 of the Rajya Sabha on withdrawal of member says, “The Chairman may direct any member whose conduct is in his opinion grossly disorderly to withdraw immediately from the Council and any member so ordered to withdraw shall do so forthwith and shall absent himself during the remainder of the day’s meeting.”