Congress MPs stage sit-in in Rajya Sabha over Rafale deal

Congress MPs in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday staged a sit-in near the Chairman's podium demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale fighter jet deal finalized by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with France.

As soon as the Upper House passed the Schedule Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018 at 3.45 p.m., and Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu took up another bill, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma stood up and demanded to know about the notice he had given for a discussion on the Rafale issue.

"Chairman, sir, this morning I had given a notice under Rule 267 for discussion on the Rafale deal, demanding a JPC in the Rafale deal. This House has to take it up. It could not be taken up in the morning, thanks to the election of the Deputy Chairman. But this issue needs to be discussed in this House," Sharma said.

However, Naidu said he had "not permitted it".

The Congress MPs trooped around the Chairman's podium and started shouting slogans. The MPs then sat down in the well and continued their sloganeering, demanding a JPC probe into the deal.

Meanwhile, the House discussed and passed the National Sports University Bill, 2018, and the Homeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2018 amid the din.

The Congress MPs continued their protest for more than an hour and dispersed only after the House was adjourned for the day around 5.15 p.m. after taking up Special Mentions.

The monsoon session of Parliament concludes on Friday.

--IANS

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