Disruptions continued in Parliament for the third consecutive day on Thursday over the National Herald issue with Opposition members attacking the Modi Government alleging political vendetta. Congress members completely paralysed the Rajya Sabha while uproarious scenes were witnessed in the lok Sabha where the party protested an “objectionable” remarks by a BJP member on Wednesday against Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
While lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan cautioned BJP member Virendra Singh as his comments were “wrong” and also expunged his comments, Congress members, along with those of Trinamool Congress, walked out to boycott the House for the day after failing to extract an apology from Singh. Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said any personal remarks are “condemned”.
Proceedings in the Rajya Sabha were washed out as Congress members continued to create uproar over the Herald case, triggering protests from the ruling side which contended that the House was being held “hostage”.
The TMC, the BJD too protested over their local issues and AIADMK members too came into aisle on the issue of Tamil Nadu floods. Prime Minister Narendra Modi came in briefly but the House was adjourned though he waited and interacted with party members and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for sometime.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi expressed strong objections to the Opposition’s behaviour. “Ministers are sitting in the House to answer questions of members. If some members are not seeking to ask questions, why are other members being prevented from doing soIJ Some people cannot hold the House to ransom. Unfortunately, some people are taking this House hostage. The House needs your protection,” he told Chairman Hamid Ansari during Question Hour.
The Congress has for three days in a row stalled functioning of the Rajya Sabha, where the crucial Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill is awaiting approval for rolling out the landmark indirect tax regime from April 1, 2016.
The Congress, which had given Adjournment Motion in the lok Sabha, raked up the issue of Virender Singh’s comment on Gandhis-Scindia as soon as the House met for the day, with its leader Mallikarjun Kharge saying the BJP member’s remarks against Rahul, Scindia and former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were “objectionable in nature and shocking”.
Kharge insisted that if the member was not suspended or did not offer an apology, then it will impact Parliament’s dignity. The Speaker, who was approached by Congress members with the complaint last night itself, noted that she had already expunged the objectionable remarks made by Singh but “I cannot force somebody to apologise”.
Anubhav Mohanty (BJD) raised the issue of Polvaram in the Rajya Sabha alleging that the Government has become “a party to it instead of playing the role of an arbitrator”. “My State of Odisha is agitated. This is a social issue not a political issue,” he said, demanding that there should be “no Polavaram before the Supreme Court decision” and asked the Government to “withdraw” its decision on it. He also sought an “immediate assurance” from the Centre that there will no Polavaram till the Supreme Court decided on the issue.
As Congress members kept shouting slogans from the Well, a visibly exasperated Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien said he is “helpless”. “You help me. I will be very grateful for that. Nobody is helping me,” he said.
Citing Parliament rules, Naqvi asked the Chair that those making noise in the House should be “sent outside”. “Rules will help you. Please send them outside and give them leave, those who are making noise here, so that they can introspect on how they are harming national interest. let them shout at Jantar Mantar or sit at dharna at Gandhi Samadhi. Some good sense could prevail on them after that.
“No charcha (debate), only kharcha (expenditure). Common man is being burdened. Development and reforms have been stalled for their own political interest. The House needs the Chair’s protection. The Chairman should use his authority to protect the interests of the House,” Naqvi said.
The House could not take up the Whistleblower Bill for discussion as the Congress members continued to shout slogans. Kurien appealed to the Congress members to allow the House to function, but they did not relent, forcing him to call it a day.