The Opposition forced two adjournments in Rajya Sabha during the pre-lunch session on the communal clashes in Kasganj and the ongoing sealing drive in Delhi.
Immediately after the Rajya Sabha met at 11:00 am, Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav raised the communal violence in Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh accusing the state administration of spreading fear among the minorities. Samajwadi Party members entered the Well of the House raising slogans to protest against the Kasganj violence They were joined by the AAP members forcing the Deputy Chairman P J Kurien to adjourn the proceedings.
“It is a serious matter. In Uttar Pradesh, minorities are being targeted and the police and state administration is helping people to break doors and arrest innocent. We all know that the man (22-year-old Chandan Gupta) who was killed on 26 January was murdered by non-Muslims,” Mr Yadav said.
AAP blames Centre
When the House met for Question Hour after the first adjournment, the AAP members led by Sanjay Singh trooped into the Well again raising slogans, alleging that it was being done at the behest of the central government. Congress and TMC members joined them
There were heated exchanges between AAP MPs and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel, even as Mr Kurien asked him to return to his seat.
Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said Delhi was the second home of all MPs and it was their duty to help people of Delhi. “If lakhs of people are being uprooted, the central government in Delhi is responsible for it. They should answer here. They cannot merely watch silently what is happening,” he said.
Andhra MP protest
Amidst the chaos, Congress MP from Andhra Pradesh, K V P Ramachandra Rao stood in front of the Deputy Speaker’s chair with a placard “Save Andhra Pradesh.’’. Mr Kurien’s plea asking Mr Rao to return to his seat fell on deaf years. Mr Kurien said that Mr Rao was doing nothing more than standing as a ‘bodyguard’.
“This government has not kept its promise. The leader of the house Arun Jaitley had said that BJP government will give more financial help to the State than Congress had promised, but they paid even lesser than what Congress had given,” Mr Rao said.
Published - February 02, 2018 09:32 pm IST
