Claiming that the Government had "unleashed" the CBI and ED against non-BJP Chief Ministers, the Congress-led Opposition raised a din in the Rajya Sabha on Monday forcing two adjournments in the pre-lunch session. The Opposition also charged the Government with ignoring "nepotism, corruption and money laundering" by some BJP-ruled States.
The House witnessed pandemonium after Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien refused to suspend business for the day to discuss the issue as demanded by Anand Sharma (Congress) who raised the issue soon after day's proceedings commenced. Unwilling to accept the ruling, the Congress members rushed into the well raising slogans. Kurien had to adjourn the house for ten minutes the first time and then for five minutes when the house reassembled.
Raising the issue, Sharma said bonafide decisions are taken by elected Chief Ministers and the State Governments for allotment of land and there is no State which is exception to this rule. Without naming anyone, he said the Central Government, in "blatant" abuse of authority, was using ED to target former Chief Ministers belonging to the Opposition parties. Sharma was obviously referring to the attachment of properties belonging to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and ED summoning him in connection with an alleged money-laundering case.
Charging the Government with protecting the BJP ruled States, he claimed land was allotted for newspaper but the land use was converted to commercial purpose in Madhya Pradesh while in Haryana a commercial organisation was allotted land. "Government is protecting the wrong-doings of its own Chief Ministers" who face accusations of "money laundering, nepotism and corruption," Sharma said.
As Kurien said the notice on the issue was not permitted, leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad also alleged that the CBI and the ED were "unleashed" against non-BJP Chief Ministers. Maintaining that the "wrong-doings" of BJP Chief Ministers were ignored, he said enforcement agencies were "let loose against Opposition Chief Ministers." The Chair, however, said the wrong doings of Chief Ministers can only be discussed in the respective State Assemblies and not in the Parliament.