Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday ruled out an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his Pakistan-related remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh during the Gujarat election campaign. But backchannel negotiations were on between the ruling party and Opposition members to end the deadlock.
The Upper House was adjourned for the day without transacting any business. The lok Sabha witnessed protests on the same matter and was adjourned in the pre-lunch session. Modi was present when the Congress MPs raised the issue. Post-lunch, agitated member staged a walkout after which the lok Sabha functioned smoothly.
Demanding an apology from Modi, the Congress MPs forced the adjournment of Zero Hour in the RS. As they continued to protest when the House met again for Question Hour, Naidu ruled there is “no question of apology”.
“Nobody is going to give apology. Nothing happened in the House. No statement is made in the House. There is no practice of suspension of Question Hour. Don’t make a mockery of the House. Already wrong message is going,” a visibly agitated Naidu told the protesting members.
However, a little before the House was adjourned for the day at 2 pm, leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said, “The Prime Minister should clarify that he had made such serious allegations against a former Prime Minister, a former Vice-President and an ex-Army chief for winning elections. He should admit it was an election stunt.
“Not even an ordinary MP or a worker can think of joining hands with Pakistan...For the last few days, we have been demanding that the PM should clarify on it...Tomorrow it is his Question Hour...
He should clarify,”
Azad said.
Questions related to the Prime Minister’s Office and his department come up on every Thursday when the Prime Minister is also present in the House.
As the members trooped into the well and started raising slogans, Kurien adjourned the proceedings for the day.
In the lok Sabha, the Congress forced the adjournment of pre-lunch proceedings. The House was first adjourned till noon minutes after it had assembled for the day, the second adjournment till 2 pm came soon after the listed papers were laid. The Prime Minister was present in the House when it was adjourned for the first time.
As soon as the House met at noon after the first adjournment to take up the Zero Hour, the Congress members stormed the well raising slogans and asking Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to allow their leader Mallikarjun Kharge to speak.
later, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar and Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and other leaders from both sides met the Speaker but deadlock continued.
According to well-placed sources, the Congress conveyed to the Government that it would expect the latter to assuage the feelings of Singh who is hurt by the insinuation made against him by the Prime Minister. The BJP leaders reminded the Congress that it would also have to take into account what their leaders said in the recent past against the PM.