Congress-TMC planned to prevent Shah, Rajnath from speaking in RS: BJP

The BJP on Wednesday accused the Congress and the TMC of "murdering democracy" by devising a strategy to disrupt Rajya Sabha proceedings to prevent Home Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP President Amit Shah from speaking on the NRC issue.

Accusing the two opposition parties of evading a debate over the National Register of Citizens issue in Assam, the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) also asked the Congress to clarify its stand on the matter.

"Today Shahji and Rajnathji were not allowed to speak in the Rajya Sabha. This was a planned strategy by the opposition. The Congress and the TMC don't want to let the house run," BJP leader Prakash Javadekar told the media here.

"The Congress and the TMC have murdered democracy," he alleged, adding that in the Rajya Sabha, its Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu had asked Shah to complete his speech that remained incomplete due to disruptions in the house on Tuesday.

He said that about 20 members spoke on Tuesday. "But when the BJP and the government wanted to speak the Congress and the TMC created a ruckus and we condemn it," he said.

"Even Chairman Naidu said that he sees a conspiracy in the agitation by opposition members and their attempt to stall the proceedings," Javadekar said.

"What do the Congress and TMC fear? Why are they running away from discussion? Why dont they want to listen to replies? Whom do they want to save?"

Earlier, BJP President was scheduled to continue his incomplete speech in the Rajya Sabha but prevented due to ruckus created by the opposition members over the NRC.

Slamming West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Javadekar said: "We know what Banerjee wants. She is opposing the NRC; she is in favour of the infiltrators."

Earlier in the day, TMC member Sukhendu Shekhar Roy raised a point of order and said that as per the rules of conduct of the upper house, a member cannot speak twice on the same issue if he fails to complete his speech in the first instance.

But his point of order was rejected by the Chairman, who said he had given Shah permission to complete his speech and asked the BJP chief to continue.

As the TMC members continued with the protest and did not let Rajnath Singh speak, Naidu adjourned the house for the day.

--IANS

aks/tsb