With the Rajya Sabha failing to transact any business even on Thursday, nearly 30 MPs of ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) wrote a letter to Chairman Hamid Ansari to take action against Congress MPs who are continuously disrupting proceedings of the House since the Monsoon Session commenced on July 21.
“Members of the Congress are disrupting the House, continuing for over two weeks in this Monsoon Session. You (Chairman) and the Deputy Chairman have time and again appealed (to) such members and have warned them that they should go back to their seats and should not disrupt (the proceedings),” the signed letter said. The letter written to the Chairman on Thursday also pointed out that the Congress MPs were disrupting the House despite repeated warnings.
“All members are equal and our rights as members are infringed upon by such disruptions. We want to raise many important issues of public interest on the floor of the House. But disruptions and subsequent adjournments are depriving us (of) this opportunity. The conduct of some members of Congress is not allowing us to discharge our duty as MPs,” the letter read. “We request you now to take action against such members disrupting the House proceedings,” it added. However, no other Opposition party was mentioned in the letter.
The MPs who signed the letter include Bimla Kashyap, Chunibhai Gohil, Dilip Pandya and Chandan Mitra, among others. The House is in a logjam since July 21 over the lalit Modi controversy and Vyapam scam with the Congress demanding resignations of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
The Government has, however, rejected the demand and said it was ready to discuss the issue in the Rajya Sabha. The Congress is insisting on resignations and a statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi over these issues.
The Congress-led protest in Parliament complex entered the third day on Thursday with members from SP, JD-U and RJD also joining in, as they shouted slogans accusing Modi of backing lalit Modi and asked him to break his silence over various controversies including the Vyapam scam.
Trinamool Congress which has supported the cause of Congress, however kept way from the protest saying they cannot side with Congress in the demonstrations in Parliament because of the left parties. TMC has 34 MPs in the lok Sabha.