The Centre on Thursday lashed out at the Opposition parties for protesting in the national capital over the issue of “manhandling” of MPs in the Rajya Sabha a day before, alleging that “anarchy” has always been their agenda. Earlier in the day, CCTV footage of the Wednesday ruckus emerged showing Opposition MPs jostling with marshals in the Upper House.
In the CCTV visuals from the Upper House, Opposition MPs can be seen jostling with marshals in Parliament. In the video footage, marshals can be seen forming a human shield to block Opposition MPs from going towards the Chairman›s podium.
Slamming the protest march organised by the Opposition leaders on Thursday from Parliament to the Vijay Chowk, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said that the Opposition must apologise to the nation instead of shedding crocodile tears. “People wait for their issues to be raised in Parliament. Anarchy remained the Opposition›s agenda. They did not care about people and taxpayers› money. What happened was condemnable. Instead of shedding crocodile tears, they must apologise to the nation,” Thakur said.
The remarks came at a press conference on Thursday in New Delhi which was attended by Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Prahlad Joshi, Bhupendra Yadav, Anurag Thakur, Arjun Ram Meghwal and V. Muraleedharan. The ministers stated that it is rather unfortunate that the opposition MPs are not even apologetic about their actions. Rather they are considering these shameful actions as acts of valour, they said.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal while briefing the media said that the Opposition has misbehaved throughout the session only because they do not want issues of public welfare to be discussed. “It is demanded that strict action should be taken on the shameful and obstructive behaviour of the Opposition. They wanted to create Opposition unity to foster national disunity. They owe answers to the nation,” he said.
Opposition parties on Thursday held a protest in New Delhi. The Opposition MPs were seen carrying placards saying ‘black farm laws’.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that for the first time in the history of our country, members of the Rajya Sabha were manhandled and physically beaten. He also termed this the “murder of democracy”.
“We asked the government to debate Pegasus, but the government refused to debate Pegasus. We raised the issue of farmers outside Parliament and we have come here today to talk to you (media) because we were not allowed to speak inside Parliament. This is the murder of democracy of the country,” Rahul Gandhi said, adding that for the first time in the Rajya Sabha, MPs were beaten up by calling people from outside and wearing blue uniforms.
The former Congress president said, “The Prime Minister of India is doing the work of selling this country. The Prime Minister of India is selling the soul of India to two-three industrialists. Therefore, the opposition cannot talk about farmers, unemployment, insurance bill, and Pegasus inside the House.” At Jantar Mantar, Rahul Gandhi said, “Narendra Modi commits atrocities on farmers, snatches what belongs to them and then calls farmers anti-nationals and Khalistanis.”
Shiv Sena›s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said, “Yesterday we saw the murder of democracy, the way private people tried to attack our MPs in Rajya Sabha yesterday by coming in marshals’ dress. These were not marshals, martial law was imposed in Parliament.”
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge marched on foot from Parliament House to Vijay Chowk after meeting in the hall of Parliament House. During the march, many leaders carried banners and placards. A banner read: “We demand repeal of anti-farmer black laws”. Opposition leaders also raised slogans of ‹Stop espionage›, ‹Take back black laws› and ‹Stop killing democracy›.
Earlier, in the meeting of Opposition leaders, Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, senior Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Anand Sharma, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, senior Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav , DMK›s T.R. Baalu, Rashtriya Janata Dal›s Manoj Jha and leaders of several other Opposition parties attended. The meeting also discussed the Pegasus espionage case, agricultural law, inflation and the passage of the bill in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday in the presence of security personnel and the alleged scuffle with some women MPs. “Let us tell you that Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday alleged that some women security personnel present there during the protest in the House manhandled and insulted women members of the opposition. However, the government rejected his allegation saying it was ‹beyond the truth›.”
NCP chief Sharad Pawar also told reporters in the Parliament House complex that he had not seen a situation in his 55 years of parliamentary politics where women MPs were attacked inside the House. WITH AGENCY INPUTS