Mayawati quits Rajya Sabha after Speaker stops her speech on Dalit violence

New Delhi: After threatening to resign from Rajya Sabha on Tuesday morning, Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) Chief Mayawati submitted her resignation to the Vice President on Tuesday evening.

The Chair had asked Mayawati to restrict her impromptu speech in Rajya Sabha (RS) on Dalit violence in Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, provoking her to take the step.

"I will resign from Rajya Sabha today," a visibly anguished Mayawati shot back when Deputy Chairman P J Kurien asked her to wrap up her speech as she had exceeded the three minutes given to her to make her submission.

Mayawati, whose term in the Upper House is till April next year, argued with Kurien saying how can she be prevented from raising the issue about her 'samaj' (community) and the Dalits. "I have not finished. You cannot do this."

"I have no moral right to be in the House if I am not allowed to put across my views on atrocities being committed against Dalits," she said.

Kurien said she can only call for a discussion after giving a notice under rule 267 that seeks adjournment of proceedings to take up an issue and not make a speech to initiate a discussion.

A discussion can begin only after the Chair, on the advise of the government, accepts the notice and agrees for a discussion.

Kurien rose from his seat in an attempt to calm her down but Mayawati refused to agree saying she has no right to be in the House if she cannot protect the rights of her community.

"I am going to resign from the house," she said and walked out of the House in a huff.

Kurien said the government was agreeing to having a discussion, so the opposition members should return to their seats and start it.

"Shouting slogan is no solution. We can discuss. The Chair is ready to allow discussion on all subjects. Let us start," he said. But the opposition members remained unrelenting, forcing him to adjourn the proceedings till 1200 hours.

Earlier, Mayawati while elaborating on the incidents in Saharanpur, said the Dalits had agreed to the district administration's order not to take out any procession or install a statue of Bhim Rao Ambedkar on April 14. But the followers of Maharana Pratap however took out a procession on May 5, she said.

Before she could complete, Kurien asked her to sit and called the next speaker, saying "you cannot monopolise", angering Mayawati.