Naidu to opposition: Don't disrupt proceedings in parliament over Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti's comment

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday sought the opposition's co-operation in running the House properly, and appealed to them not to disrupt proceedings over the inappropriate comments allegedly made by Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti.

"I advise my friends from the Congress and the Communist parties to please co-operate. Let us see that the House functions effectively, raises the issues forcefully, effectively, and we are there to respond to the issues. That has been the practice," Naidu told mediapersons here.

Urging the opposition to co-operate in the proceedings of the House, Parliamentary Affairs Minister also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi already conveying his annoyance over such comments made by the minister.

"This issue of continuously disrupting the House and not allowing the House to function on a issue of one of the union minister saying something, which is objectionable. Before anybody has taken up that issue, the Prime Minister told the parliamentary party meeting, people should avoid using such language and it is not acceptable, he said it, and then subsequently had a meeting with the minister, minister has realised, and then she came and apologised to the House and then she came to the other House apologised also," Naidu said.

"What else do you expect from her? She is of a different background, first time she has come to Parliament," he added.

Jyoti's remarks reportedly came during a rally in the national capital on Monday, where she urged voters to choose between candidates in the city's Shyam Nagar area.

Following her remarks which created an uproar in political circles Jyoti clarified that she did not mean to target any particular person or party but was targeting separatists.

"I did not take name of any particular individual, community or party. I was talking about separatist parties and leaders who think of dividing the country and who do not consider themselves to be a part of India," said Jyoti.