Congress plans to boycott VK Singh in Parliament

The main Opposition Congress has decided to intensify the protest against Union minister V.K. Singh in the two Houses of Parliament for his controversial dog analogy in the wake of the killing of two dalit children in Haryana. It could be a boycott or a dharna.

Sources said a decision to this effect was taken at a meeting held by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi of senior leaders and party MPs. This was the first such meeting held by Mr Gandhi in the absence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who is in the US for a medical checkup.

The Congress action could unite the rest of the Opposition on this issue and compel the government to take action. Delaying tactics could affect the legislative agenda of the government and would send a wrong message to dalits across the country, especially election-going states, including Uttar Pradesh.

Congress spokesman Anand Sharma said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given assurances that he would be taking action against colleagues whose conduct is against established constitutional principles and practices.

Mr Sharma said Mr Modi should have recommended Mr Singh’s removal to the President by taking cognisance of his remarks.

During the Vajpayee government, the Congress had boycotted the then defence minister George Fernandes in Parliament over the coffin scam.

On Thursday, the BSP and the Congress opposed the presence of Mr Singh in the Rajya Sabha and demanded his dismissal from the government over his controversial “dog” analogy.

The Congress had created a ruckus in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday and sought action against Mr Singh. It had staged a walkout. The Trinamul Congress and the Left too had attacked the minister.

At that time, Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge had complained that the government during the debate on intolerance did not touch upon the remarks made by Mr Singh about dalits.

He had also asked Mr Modi, who was then present in the House, as to what action he planned to take against Mr Singh.