By Andalib Akhter
Pained over yesterday incident in the Upper House, Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu today said that action will be taken against members of opposition parties who created ruckus during a short-duration discussion on farm issues.
This comes after Union home minister Amit Shah, leader of the house Piyush Goyal and other Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs met Naidu.
His remarks were in reference to the debate held on Tuesday. While the discussion was underway, some members of the opposition parties, including Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), trooped into the well with sloganeering. Congress leader Pratap Singh Bajwa climbed atop a table and was seen throwing an official file at the Chair.
As the proceedings of the upper house began this morning, an emotional Naidu said, “All sacredness of this House was destroyed yesterday when some members sat on the tables and some climbed on the tables.”
There are no words to convey my anguish and to condemn such acts, Naidu added. “I spent a sleepless night as I struggled to find out the provocation of reason forcing this august House to such a low yesterday,” said Naidu.
Bajwa later said he has no regrets. “I will do this 100 times again if the government does not give us an opportunity to discuss the three black anti-agriculture laws,” he told a news agency.
Union minister Anurag Thakur slammed the Congress party for lowering the dignity of the House with their unruly conduct. “A party which has not been able to choose a new president, whose MPs tear the legislations of their own party and doesn’t allow Parliament to function by indulging in condemnable behaviour shows that the democracy was shamed. People have elected these MPs to discuss issues in Parliament, but they have stooped to tearing papers and throwing files,” said Thakur.
He added that crores of rupees are spent on holding a session of Parliament. “Whatever happened yesterday shamed the democracy,” said the minister.
Several members of the opposition parties stood on the table where the parliamentary staff sits right below the Chair. A few of them squatted on the tables for over one-and-half hours during which proceedings were adjourned multiple times.
Rajya Sabha television did not show the scenes of ruckus, but opposition MPs recorded the events and posted them on their Twitter handles.