Speaker expunges her own remarks after Congress protests

In a rare act, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan today agreed to expunge her own "vested interest" remarks made yesterday against members protesting in the Well, after the Congress expressed concern, saying it was not right on part of the Chair to make such a remark.

Soon after the House condoled the death of 10 people in a BSF plane crash yesterday, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge raised concern over the Speaker's remarks.

Yesterday when the Congress members were protesting in the Well, Mahajan had said that they didn't have any national interest, and they only had vested interests.

Noting that she did not take the name of any party while making the remarks, Mahajan today said it was made when members were protesting in the Well of the House.

"I did not take name of (any) party... I will definitely expunge the 'vested interest' remark... I am sorry," she said.

Wondering what would happen tomorrow, Kharge said the Speaker's remarks yesterday were unfortunate and it hurt them.
"(The remarks) were not proper," he noted.

"We are bringing up issues on national interest, whether about Union Minister V K Singh or Arunachal Pradesh or any other matter", Kharge said, adding that whatever problems had happened, the government was responsible.

Mahajan said, "Unko (Congress) bhi kisi baat ke liye dukh hua hai. Achchi baat hai ki woh sochen unki kise baat se doosre bhi aahat ho sakte hain (They are hurt for some reason. It would be good if they also think that for their actions some others might have also been hurt)".

Dissatisfied with the Speaker's response when Congress members began to protest, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said such actions by the Opposition were not allowed in the House.

"Nobody can question the conduct of the Speaker in the House," the Minister said.

Earlier when the House assembled and the Question Hour began, Congress members trooped into the Well raising slogans over Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's alleged role in the irregularities in the Delhi cricket body DDCA.

Amidst the protests, Jaitley and BJP MP Kirti Azad, who has also targeted the Finance Minister over the DDCA affairs, walked into the House.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Sonia Gandhi were also present in the House.