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Conversion row continues in Rajya Sabha

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Conversion Rajya Sabha

New Delhi: The uproar over reported conversions and comments by MPs from the ruling BJP continued to rock the Rajya Sabha for the third consecutive day Wednesday, forcing several adjournments.

The opposition was also upset that Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a comment on the issue at a meeting of the BJP’s parliamentary party, but did not come to the house.

“Does the prime minister need a visa to come to this house?” asked Trinamool Congress member Derek O’Brien.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi called the comment “unacceptable”.

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, meanwhile, said: “When the prime minister is in parliament, why not accept opposition’s demand and come to the house.”

A discussion on incidents of communal violence was listed in the house. However, opposition members refused to take it up unless the prime minister came to the house.

The upper house saw repeated adjournments, angry exchanges, and charges and counter-charges as both ruling and opposition parties blamed each other for the continuous disruptions.

Chairman M. Hamid Ansari also banished Congress member V. Hanumantha Rao from the house for the day as he trooped near his podium and raised slogans.

The protests started as soon as the house met for the day, with Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Naresh Agarwal raising a point of order.

“We read in the papers that some policy decisions were made in the parliamentary party meet of thee BJP,” Agarwal said, referring to the prime minister’s warning to party members not to cross the “Lakshman Rekha” (limits) in their statements.

“If his ministers are making some mistake, it is his responsibility to say it in the house,” said Agarwal.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, however, rejected the charge that any policy decision was taken.

“PM has not made any policy decision in the meet. But I have a point of order. In the name of point of order, can Naresh Agarwal every day raise a point of disorder?” said the finance minister.

Congress leader Pramod Tiwari again raised a point of order, on the same issue.

“We are just telling PM your people are creating disharmony in the country. If he is accepting some ministers are crossing Lakshman Rekha… let him tell which Lakshman Rekha is being crossed,” said Tiwari.

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Sitaram Yechury said he wanted to raise a “point of disorder”.

“I want to know if the prime minister will come to this house so that we can have a discussion. Will the prime minister be willing to come? Instead of addressing from outside the house, come and speak in the house and be responsible to the legislators,” said Yechury.

Congress leader Anand Sharma complained that opposition members were not being allowed to speak.

“Ruling party is disrupting the house whenever opposition leaders speak,” said Sharma.
As opposition members raised the pitch demanding the prime minister’s presence, treasury benches members too added to the din.

Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien adjourned the house till noon.

At noon, once again opposition members refused to allow the question hour to be taken up.

Agarwal urged the chair to accept his notice to suspend the business and take up the discussion. However, Chairman M. Hamid Ansari rejected the notice as “redundant” as a discussion on communal situation in the country is already listed in the upper house.

When Agarwal insisted, an angry chairman said: “Why should all the business of the house be suspended because you want something.”

He also reprimanded members leaving their seats.

With ruckus continuing, the upper house was adjourned twice for 15 minutes during the question hour.

Even as the chairman repeatedly said a discussion is listed, opposition members asked if the prime minister would come.

“Take care of you side, let them take care of their side… Government has collective responsibility,” said Ansari.

The opposition, however, refused to relent, and the house was adjourned till 2 p.m. Similar scenes continued when the house met again, and opposition members refused to take up the debate without the prime minister being present in the house. After nearly 40 minutes which saw angry exchanges from both ruling and opposition benches, the house was adjourned for the day.

The opposition has been protesting in the wake of recent reports of conversion of Muslims to Hinduism, and also BJP parliamentarian Yogi Adityanath’ comment supporting a mass conversion programme.

Adityanath reportedly said there was nothing wrong if people re-convert to Hinduism if they were doing it willingly.

Bharatiya Janata Party sources said Modi Tuesday warned party MPs at the parliamentary board meeting against crossing the “Lakshman Rekha” (limits) by making controversial statements.

(IANS)

Modi seeks closure over remark, wants parliament to run

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PM_Modi_Rajya_Sabha

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday told the Lok Sabha that Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti had apologised for her abusive remark and the opposition should close the issue and, in the interest of the country, move forward with the work in the house.

Making a statement in the Lok Sabha soon after the house met for the day, Modi said that during a meeting of the party’s parliamentary party Tuesday he had sternly instructed party MPs against using such language.

“Before the issue was raised in the house, when there was a meeting of my party MPs, I had sternly instructed against using such language, and had expressed my unhappiness,” he said.

In remarks similar to those made in the Rajya Sabha Thursday, Modi said the minister was new.

“Nobody can approve such things. Later, the minister apologised. She is a new minister, we know her social background – she is from a village – and she has apologised and it is the duty of senior members in the house that when a member apologises in front of such a big house, then we also be liberal.”

The prime minister said he was grateful to members of Lok Sabha that they allowed the house to function.

Unlike the Rajya Sabha which has seen repeated adjournments, the Lok Sabha has transacted business after protests by opposition members during Question Hour.

Modi also said that political leaders, who had a role in public life, should talk in a dignified manner.

He said that members should accept “maryada (dignity of language)” and speak within that — whether they were within the house or outside.

“I feel when the minister had apologised — and she is a new minister — then senior leaders should request members of their parties to close the issue and move forward with our work in the interest of the country,” he added.

Jyoti, who is minister of state for food processing industries, reportedly said at a public meeting here: “Aapko tay karna hai ki Dilli mein sarkar Ramzadon ki banegi ya haramzadon ki.” (You have to decide if you want a government in Delhi to be led by the children of Lord Ram or illegitimate children).

Soon after the prime minister’s remarks, opposition members sought to convey their views but Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that the matter should be considered closed.

Congress Leader in the house Mallikarjun Kharge referred to the BJP and said several of their leaders had had made remarks which had created an atmosphere which was affecting “unity of the society”.

Later opposition members, including those from the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and Trinamool Congress, staged a walkout. They wore a black cloth over their mouth in protest.

The speaker, however, proceeded with the Question Hour.

Making a statement after the Question Hour, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu appealed to the opposition members to return to the house and take part in the discussions.

“All people commit mistakes,” he said and noted that the BJP had not carried on with protests over certain objectionable remarks made in the past by Congress leaders Mani Shankar Aiyar and Beni Prasad Verma. He also referred to controversial remarks made by Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Pal.

He said the opposition should join discussions to “meet expectations of people”.

“Hope they realize. People are ultimate judges,” he said.

(IANS)

Black money issue rocks parliament

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india-parliament

New Delhi: The issue of black money rocked the Lok Sabha on the first working day of parliament’s winter session Tuesday, as several opposition parties tried to corner the government over the issue.

As soon as the house met for the day, Trinamool Congress (TMC) members went near the speaker’s podium with black umbrellas raising slogans on black money.

They were joined by members from Janata Dal-United, Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and Samajwadi Party who also raised slogans demanding a response from Prime Minister Narendra Modi as to when the black money would be brought back.

When Speaker Sumitra Mahajan did not agree to this, they moved near the speaker’s podium carrying black umbrellas with “Kaala Dhan Waapas Lao” (Bring back black money) written on them, forcing her to adjourn the house till noon.

When the house met again at noon, work resumed amid din. While opposition members continued to raise slogans, papers were presented and even matters of urgent public importance were taken up by the house.

TMC members were also seen raising slogans in the Rajya Sabha. A notice for suspension of the question hour to take up the debate on black money was also given in the upper house.

Earlier, TMC members were seen staging a protest outside parliament. They were joined in the protest by SP, JD-U and RJD leaders.

“Modi government promised to bring back black money in 100 days, almost 200 days are over, they must give an answer now,” said TMC’s Sukhendu Sekhar.

“Black money was one of the key poll planks in the Lok Sabha elections on which the BJP won, but the government has done nothing on this count since it came to power. We want a threadbare discussion on this,” JD-U leader K.C. Tyagi, who gave the notice for discussion to the Rajya Sabha Chairman on his party’s behalf.

(IANS)

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