The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday witnessed a scuffle between Congress and AGP members when the Government introduced a crucial Bill providing for transfer of certain territories to Bangladesh.
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid managed to introduce the Bill even as AGP members Kumar Deepak Das and Birendra Kumar Baishya raised slogans and tried to snatch the copy of the Bill from the Minister.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla and some other Congress members rushed to prevent the AGP members from snatching the Bill and a minor scuffle took place between them. As soon as the Minister finished the process of introduction of the Constitution (119th) Amendment Bill, 2013, amid din caused by BJP over coal block allocation and bribery allegations in the Railway Ministry and the scuffle, Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien adjourned the House till after 2 pm just after 12 pm.
The Bill seeks to give effect to the acquiring of territories by India and transfer of certain territories to Bangladesh in pursuance of the agreement between the two countries signed over a year ago.
AGP members later told reporters that they were opposing the Bill fearing it would lead to a secessionist movement in the State which was not in the country’s interest. Baishya said this was not an issue of Assam but that of the sovereignty of the nation.
“They cannot play politics with it. Centre has signed a pact with Bangladesh which is not known to Assam people. They are doing it for their political interest. This is not in the interest of Assam. Because we are losing huge area of Assam to Bangladesh, we are not supporting it,” he said.