LS adjourned after Oppn uproar

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Jul 25 2017 | 4:32 PM IST
The Lok Sabha was today adjourned for the day, virtually without transacting any substantial business, after Congress members created an uproar over a range of issues, including remarks made by certain BJP MPs against its leader Jyotiraditya Scindia and the revocation of suspension of six of its members.
Congress and opposition parties were also demanding a discussion on the lynching incidents in the country in the name of cow protection.
Scindia said BJP MPs Veerendra Kumar and Nandkumar Singh Chouhan had levelled certain allegations against him pertaining to the Dalit community.
He said if these remarks were found to be true, then he would quit as the member of the House and demanded that if the BJP leaders failed to prove their allegation, then they should tender their resignations.
"My image has been tarnished," Kharge said.
Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, defended Scindia and said the Guna MP has been fighting for the well-being of the Dalits in the House over the last 15 years.
As Congress members, including Scindia, Kantilal Bhuria, K C Venugopal and Ravneet Singh Bittu, rushed to the Well, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she was trying to accomodate everyone by allowing them to ventilate their concerns.
However, members from the treasury benches also vociferously responded to the Congress charge, leading to a ruckus in the House.
This led Mahajan to warn the members that if any one of the officials or the Secretary General are harmed by mistake, then consequences would not be good.
Anguished over the unruly scenes, the Speaker said "if you are bent upon creating a ruckus, how will the House run? I have told you to raise your concerns under the rules ... Don't try to teach me (how to run the House)".
Kharge said the opposition also wants the House to function. He also accused Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar of trying to "pour petrol into the fire".
As the din continued, Mahajan adjourned the House for the day.
Soon after the House had reassembled at 3 PM, the Speaker ordered the listed papers to be laid.
The ruckus began soon after she took up the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2017, and HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar moved the legislation for consideration and passage.
Earlier, the House was adjourned till 3.00 PM within minutes after it had assembled at 11 AM to allow members to participate in the swearing-in ceremony of Ramnath Kovind as the 14th President of India.
The proceedings, which were slated to run for some time, was adjourned as opposition members mounted noisy protests over cow vigilantes and lynching incidents.
The Speaker decided to adjourn the proceedings almost immediately, saying "You don't want the House to function...As it is, I am adjourning the House to allow members and ministers participate in the oath taking of the 14th President and other ceremonies."
As soon as the Question Hour was taken up at 11 AM, Kharge raised the issue of cow vigilantism and the "repeated" incidents of lynching in the name of cow protection, sparking the uproar.
Incidentally, the first question the House was to take up was "whether it is a fact that 99.19 per cent cows and 99 per cent oxen are productive in the country". While the question was being read out, the minister could not give an answer and the proceedings were adjourned.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jul 25 2017 | 4:32 PM IST

Next Story