Protesting Congress MPs stall Houses again

The Congress on Thursday shifted its focus in the Lok Sabha from the National Herald issue and latched on to certain controversial remarks made by a BJP MP against party vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday and created a furore in the Lok Sabha, demanding his apology even as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan cautioned the MP in question Virendra Singh, saying his comments were “wrong”.

Proceedings in the Rajya Sabha continued to get disrupted over the National Herald case as Congress members created uproar and shouted anti-government and anti-Prime Minister slogans, inviting strong reaction from the ruling side, which contended that the House was being held “hostage”. The Upper House witnessed repeated adjournments.

In the Lok Sabha, Congress members, along with TMC MPs, later staged a walkout and boycotted the proceedings even as the Lok Sabha functioned throughout the day. Their contention was that the BJP MP had failed to apologise for his reported remarks, even though parliamentary affairs minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said that any personal remarks are “condemned”.

Mr Singh, an MP from Bhadohi in Uttar Pradesh, had made the remarks in the House on Wednesday while participating in a discussion on the prevailing drought situation.

The Congress, which had given adjournment motion, raked up the issue as soon as the House met for the day, with its leader Mallikarjun Kharge saying the BJP member’s remarks against Mr Gandhi and also Jyotiraditya Scindia as well as former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were “objectionable in nature and shocking”.

Though Ms Mahajan said that the remarks have been expunged and she had warned the member, this did not help and Congress members rushed to the well and raised slogans while the House took up Question Hour.

Mr Naidu said any personal remarks are “condemned”. However, he reminded Mr Kharge how earlier Congress MPs had hurled papers at deputy speaker Thambidurai and called the Prime Minister “Hitler”.

Amid this war of words between the two leaders, the Speaker said what Mr Singh had said was “wrong” and cautioned him against repeating it. She even went on to say, “what is the harm in apologising Your stature will not diminish.” When Mr Singh wanted to say something, Ms Mahajan snubbed him and asked to sit down.

She also warned the Congress against dragging the issue, saying they may also have to seek an apology for throwing papers at the deputy speaker.

As the Congress protests continued, Speaker adjourned the House for nearly 25 minutes till 11.40 am. After the House met again, the Congress protest continued, but Question Hour went on amidst the din.

Mr Kharge said that since the member was not apologising, Congress members were walking out for the day. Members of the party, including its chief Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, then left the House. They were joined by Trinamul members.

The Rajya Sabha witnessed disruptions ever since it met in the morning. As Congress members were raising anti-government and anti-PM slogans in the well, AIADMK members also moved into the aisles demanding that the Chennai floods be declared as a national calamity.

Expressing strong objections to the Opposition’s behaviour, MoS for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said: “Ministers are sitting in the House to answer questions of members. If some members are not seeking to ask questions, why are other members being prevented from doing so Some people cannot hold the House to ransom. Unfortunately, some people are taking this House hostage. The House needs your protection,” he told the Chair.