Opposition members in the Rajya Sabha on Friday sought to corner Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, accusing him of denying in the House the lynching of a dairy farmer by alleged cow vigilantes in Alwar last week.
The members demanded that Mr. Naqvi apologise and Home Minister Rajnath Singh immediately make a statement in the House. Sharad Yadav of the Janata Dal (United) expressed concern that two ministers had made contradictory statements in two Houses of Parliament.
Saying that Mr. Singh would make a statement in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, Mr. Naqvi said he had responded to Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry saying there were incidents in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and U.P., apart from Rajasthan, which was not true.
“As for the Rajasthan incident, we do not justify any goondaism or anarchy and there should be legal action. FIRs have been lodged against six persons and action is being taken,” he added.
As Opposition members rushed into the well of the House demanding an apology, Mr. Kurien said there was no need for an apology from anyone.
“Yes, it is correct that yesterday, Mr. Naqvi, who perhaps was not aware of this incident, said that it did not happen,” Mr. Kurien said. “Then, I told him that he should contact the Home Minister, ascertain the facts and come back to the House. Today, after the Leader of the Opposition raised it, Mr. Naqvi said that, yes, in Rajasthan, this incident had happened, and, he also said that an FIR has been registered and people have been arrested.”
Minutes earlier, the continuing protest of Congress leaders in the well of the House angered Mr. Kurien, who said he would not adjourn the House in the face of “intimidation”.
Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad sought to know why Home Minister Rajnath Singh had not yet spoken in the Rajya Sabha on the matter. “It is unjust... every day they are undermining Rajya Sabha,” Azad said.
When Mr. Naqvi responded by saying that the Home Minister was not in Andaman at the moment, Mr. Azad said any of the Ministers of State for Home could have made a statement.
“I am very sorry. This government should take Rajya Sabha seriously,” he said.
