Wednesday, Apr 17, 2024 | Last Update : 12:01 AM IST
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi remark angers Congress
The Rajya Sabha witnessed pandemonium and a brief adjournment on Friday after Opposition members, led by the Congress, stormed into the well after a remark by Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi regard
The Rajya Sabha witnessed pandemonium and a brief adjournment on Friday after Opposition members, led by the Congress, stormed into the well after a remark by Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi regarding the Opposition party.
The Congress demanded an apology from the minister and only relented after Mr Naqvi acceded to the Opposition demand that the name of the party be removed from the record. The pandemonium led to a near washout of the crucial Zero Hour.
Trouble began soon after Mr Naqvi, reacting to Congress leader Anand Sharma’s remark that there was “frustration among youth” due to lack of jobs, said there was a sense of optimism in the country but if there is “frustration and disappointment” in that party, he cannot help it.
Sharad Yadav (JD-U) spoke on the lack of employment generation, finding support from Mr Sharma and Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M). The government claimed jobs were being created in every field. “Under the leadership of PM Modi there is an atmosphere of confidence in the nation... If there is frustration and disappointment among my friends in his party there is no solution for it,” Mr Naqvi said.
The Congress, however, reacted sharply to the barb and most of its members trooped into the Well of the House and demanded an apology from the minister. The Congress members were supported by JD-U, SP and the Left members.
Deputy Chairman P J Kurien objected to members entering the Well, saying if there is anything “unparliamentary”, it would be expunged. However, the protesting MPs did not budge. An angry Kurien said that “on pretext of slightest provocation”, members cannot come into the Well.
Naqvi countered the protestors and asked “wasn’t it unparliamentary to say that the country is frustrated”. Amid continued uproar, Kurien adjourned the House till noon.
Meanwhile, when the House reassembled to take up the Question Hour, Naqvi maintained that he had not said anything unparliamentary but took the name of a party which should be removed from the record.
