Protesting over the continued detention of sitting National Conference MP Farooq Abdullah in J&K, Opposition members on Monday described it as illegal and demanded that he be allowed to attend the House even as the Congress raised the issue of removal of Special Protection Group (SPG) security cover for its president and his family.
Congress was upfront from the word go with its members in good strength moving to the well of the house and charging the Government with attacking the opposition and foisting false cases against it.
Their protests continued until end of the question hour when Speaker Om Birla allowed Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to make his comments on the detention of Abdullah .
Opposition leaders also raised the issue of MPs not being allowed to visit Jammu and Kashmir after abrogation of its special status under article 370 whereas parliamentarians from Europe allowed to go there. Chowdhury described the EU delegation as "bhade ke tattu" (hirelings).
"Our leader Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to visit (J&K), several MPs were sent back.Whereas bhade ke tatu from Europe were being taken there. Isn’t it an insult to all MPs. I want to ask MPs of ruling alliance don’t they think it was their insult," Chowdhury said. On the detention of Abdullah, he said the NC supremo has been under detention for 106 days and it is his constitutional right to attend the House.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Chowdhury said it was an "atrocity" not to allow the former J&K Chief Minister to attend Lok Sabha proceedings.
Giving an account of sequence of events, the Speaker said when Home Minister Amit Shah informed the House in the previous session that Abdullah was not under detention, he was then correct. The written information of his detention was received later by the Lok Sabha secretariat, he said
He said now he has written information that Abdullah is under detention. DMK leader TR Baalu sought Birla’s intervention in the matter, saying the speaker is the custodian of the House and should ensure that members are allowed to attend the House.
"What has happened with Farooq is illegal.You are custodian of the House.You have to make intervention," Baalu said.
The DMK leader also said that same is the case with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and noted that her daughter has said that the PDP leader has been manhandled.
National Conference MP Hasnain Masoodi said the former Chief Minister was under preventive custody not under judicial custody and it can be revoked by the Speaker’s order.
"Farooq Sahab represents Srinagar and it is right of the 20 lakh people of Srinagar that their voice be heard in the House.I have proof that he is not in judicial custody, he is in preventive custody.
Your one order can revoke it," Masoodi said while addressing the Chair. Similar sentiments on Abdullah’s arrest were made by TMC leaders as well. The issue was also raised by RSP leader N K Premachandran when he was given a chance to ask a supplementary question related to the Finance Ministry.
Chowdhury also raised the issue of withdrawal of SPG cover of Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Gandhi family. He said as Former Prime Minister, late Atal Bihari Vajpayee remained under SPG protection.