Lok Sabha to discuss intolerance on Monday

The issue of intolerance is set to dominate proceedings in the Lok Sabha on Monday. The Speaker has accepted the notices of CPI(M) member P. Karunakaran and Congress MP K.C. Venugopal for a discussion on the matter.

The two Opposition members had given notices for a discussion on the issue under Rule 193, which does not entail voting. The matter has been listed for November 30.

The Opposition has been seeking a discussion on the issue of intolerance for quite some time. At the all-party meeting on November 25, against the backdrop of actor Aamir Khan’s remarks on “growing intolerance”, the Opposition parties made a strong pitch for an early discussion on the issue, insisting that returning of awards by writers, artistes and filmmakers should not be taken lightly.

Assuring members on this count, parliamentary affairs minister M. Venkaiah Naidu had said the government was ready to discuss all issues, including “so-called intolerance”, though it fell in the domain of states.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had also made it clear that his party was going to raise the issue of intolerance as what was happening in the country was “disturbing” and the Prime Minister was “silent”.

The government has been facing flak from different quarters on the issue in the wake of the Dadri lynching, the beef row and incidents of communal violence.