The Lok Sabha was disrupted twice on Wednesday after the Opposition led by the Congress party raised slogans and protested against not being allowed to raise the issue of communal violence in the country.
As soon as the House met, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge sought an adjournment motion as the MPs wanted to discuss the issue of rising incidents of communal violence in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was in the House.
However, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan refused to adjourn the Question Hour and later asked the party to submit a notice under appropriate House rules to seek time for raising the issue. She said the House will discuss the issue as Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu has already agreed to do so, but only after the notices are submitted.
Angry with her response, MPs from Congress, RJD, SP and AAP began raising slogans in the Well of House.
Slogan shouting
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi joined his colleagues as they raised slogans such as “ PM jawab do” (PM
should answer), “tanashahi nahi chelgi ” (dictatorship won’t be allowed), “we want justice”, “ Pradhan Mantri kahan gaye, bhag gaye, bhag gaye (where is the Prime Minister? Has run away)."
SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav also wanted to speak and made his displeasure known.
TMC members stayed in their seats and did not join the protest despite being asked by the Congress.
The House was adjourned briefly during the Question Hour, but as the protest gained momentum after Mr. Kharge alleged that incidents of communal violence are on the rise ever since the new government has taken over, there was a second adjournment.
Mr. Kharge wanted to know who was behind the communal violence that has increased since the NDA came to power, but his remarks drew loud protests from the Treasury benches. BJP MPs began shouting at the Opposition for the comment and Mr. Naidu rose to make a statement denying Mr. Kharge’s charges.
“There is no tension in the country; the country is peaceful. Let us not unnecessarily create problems outside…This is not expected from a party which ruled the country for years together,” he said.
The Minister asked Mr. Kharge to cite specific instances of riots and refrain from making sweeping statements. Mr. Kharge only said “many places” and did not go into specifics.
But the Opposition continued to create a ruckus and MPS Rajesh Ranjan of the RJD and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of the Congress were at the forefront of the protests, standing inches away from the Speaker’s desk, raising slogans.
The protesting MPs told the Speaker that as the custodian of the House, she has to be impartial, which again drew protests from the Treasury benches.
'Government partial'
When the Speaker asked the Congress to give a notice which would be taken up at the next meeting of the Business Advisory
Committee, Mr. Kharge said: “We have given two notices -- one under Rule 193 (calling attention) and the other an
adjournment motion. We can convert Calling Attention into discussion under Rule 193 but we cannot convert Adjournment
Motion,” he said, adding that the government is being “partial” by not allowing the Congress to hold the discussion.
