Proceedings in both Houses of Parliament were disrupted for the second day on Tuesday over the Opposition’s insistence on a discussion on the Delhi riots, with the Lok Sabha once again witnessing unruly scenes between Opposition and ruling party members.
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The uproar was triggered when Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, after the Lok Sabha met again at 2 p.m., stated that the House would debate the Delhi riots on March 11, after Holi.
‘After Holi’
“We are working for the benefit of the country. Keeping in mind the situation in the country, celebrate Holi festival in peace and harmony ...Government is ready to discuss the issue after Holi on March 11,” he said, which prompted Opposition members to storm into the Well to press for an immediate discussion.
In the midst of loud sloganeering, when Mr. Birla allowed Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to move a financial Bill, tempers rose as MPs were seen crossing the Well.
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Even though Mr. Birla warned members from both Opposition and Treasury benches during the uproar that he would suspend them if they crossed over to the other side, it failed to restore order.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury walked over to the side of the Treasury benches, which led to a commotion between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Opposition members.
Commotion ensues
Other Opposition MPs too followed Mr. Chowdhury and a commotion ensued as BJP members blocked their way. Locket Chatterjee, BJP MP from West Bengal, was seen having an animated argument with the Congress members when Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad stepped in to pacify them.
Amid a jostle between BJP and Congress members, when some Opposition members banged a partition door near the Lok Sabha Secretary General’s desk, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day.
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Even after the adjournment, Union Minister Smriti Irani was seen engaged in a heated argument with Opposition members over the banging of the partition door, with other BJP members trying to calm her down.
Earlier in the day, the Opposition’s demand for an immediate discussion led to two disruptions, with the entire first half of the session getting washed out. As soon as the House met at 11 a.m., members from the Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Trinamool Congress and other Opposition parties were on their feet, demanding an immediate discussion on the Delhi riots.
Not heeded
The Speaker as well as the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi told the Opposition members that they could raise the issue during Zero Hour, but Mr. Joshi made it clear that the government would want “peace and normalcy restored in the affected areas” before having a discussion on the floor of the House.
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DMK leader T. R. Baalu said the government was yet to respond on the issue in Parliament, while Mr. Chowdhury demanded an immediate discussion. Referring to an all-party meeting, the Speaker reminded the House that members had agreed they would not cross over to the other side and not bring in placards. When the protesting MPs did not pay heed to Mr. Birla’s direction of returning to their seats, and displayed placards, an angry Speaker adjourned the House.
“There is already a Holi of blood in north-east Delhi and bodies are still being fished out. This government is running away from a discussion as it is responsible,” Mr. Chowdhury told reporters outside.
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singh called called the government’s argument — wait for normalcy to return — a “spurious” one.
In Rajya Sabha
In the Business Advisory Committee meeting held on Tuesday morning led by Rajya Sabha Chairperson Venkaiah Naidu, Opposition parties told the government in no uncertain terms that they would not let the Parliament function till a structured discussion on the Delhi riots took place.
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The Rajya Sabha saw multiple adjournments, with the first one coming within three minutes of its convening. When Minister of State Anurag Thakur stood up to lay the papers from his Ministry, Opposition members started jeering him. Many Opposition members were heard shouting “goli maaro” in a reference to Mr. Thakur’s comments at a public rally during the campaign for the Delhi Assembly elections. Mr. Naidu said that no slogan would go on record. “You don’t want any business to be transacted, you don’t want any discussion, any zero hour mention — five of you stand and argue with me,” he said.
In the post lunch session, though the Rajya Sabha Chair finally conceded to the Opposition’s demand to hold a discussion on the Delhi riots, Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh informed the House that Chairman Naidu would have to take a call on the timing of the discussion, and adjourned the proceedings after Telangana Rashtra Samithi MP K. Keshava Rao said the House should be adjourned to send a “message” that the “first concern was the people”.
‘It will be odd’
Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad reiterated, “The whole world is discussing the incidents and if the Parliament of India does not, then it will be odd.”
While Leader of the House Thawarchand Gehlot said the government was “ready for a discussion”, Trinamool’s Parliamentary party leader Derek O’ Brien told reporters that the Opposition is hopeful the discussion would happen on Wednesday.
