Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi today faced the ire of members of a Parliamentary panel for leaving its deliberations midway with two TMC MPs even walking out of the committee's meeting, resulting in its postponement.
Following this, chairman of the panel and Congress MP from Rajya Sabha P Bhattacharya called Mehrishi again and advised him not to do so in future.
However, the meeting, which was called to discuss the Chennai floods, had to be postponed by then as most of the members were agitated and few had already left.
Going public about the controversy, Derek O' Brien from Trinamool Congress, who walked out of the meeting in a huff, tweeted," Home Sec didn't come for 2 Parliam panel meetings. Today came for 30 mins.
"Imp issues like floods, Del Police, sensitive incidents were to be discussed. Action taken reports not submitted. Nothing done. Members object. My colleague and I walk out. What's going on?".
Today's meeting was earlier supposed to discuss the Pathankot terror attack but citing ongoing investigations by the NIA, the Home Ministry had sought some more time from the committee to share details on the attack.
Hence, the panel changed the agenda and was to hear the Home Secretary on the recent disaster in Chennai caused by torrential rains and consequent flooding.
Mehrishi gave a presentation on the Chennai flash floods in the meeting. After that a representative of Tamil Nadu government also made presentation and the relief and rehabilitation measures taken thereafter.
The Home Secretary, had, however, left the meeting by then.
Noticing it, members including D Raja (CPI) raised objection to the Home Secretary's absence. Raja is learnt to have asked the Chairman where the Home Secretary is and whom will the members ask questions when he is not present, sources said.
O' Brien, who had earlier also opposed the Home Secretary's absence from some meetings, voiced his anger saying it is happening every time and walked out of the meeting.
Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) and Mallikarjun Kharge, who is Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, also took objections to the Home Secretary's absence.
"When we are discussing this, he left. What is this approach," Kharge is learnt to have said.
Sources said sensing the mood, Bhattacharya called the Home Secretary again. However, as the members were agitated, he postponed the meeting. Bhattacharya, who met Mehrishi later, is learnt to have advised the Home Secretary not to absent himself from panel meetings or leave it midway.
Sources said another meeting of the panel will be held soon.
(Reopens DEL 53)
In the 31-member panel, the BJP has 13 members, Congress 4, BJD 2, Trinamool Congress 2, AIADMK 3, CPI-M, CPI, SP, TRS, TDP, Shiromani Akali Dal and Shiv Sena one each. NDA members have majority in the panel.
In November also, O'Brien had raised objection to the absence of Mehrishi from the panel's meeting here to discuss communal harmony and social fabric.
"16 MPs from Parliament Home Affairs Committee turn up to hear Union home secretary's views on communal harmony/social fabric. Guess what?..Home secretary doesn't even turn up at meeting, citing other engagements. Gives few hours notice...This is not funny," O'Brien had tweeted after the meeting then.
At its May 8 meeting to discuss disaster management also, some MPs had walked out objecting why the then Home Secretary L C Goyal did not participate in the deliberations. The meeting was held in the aftermath of the devastating Nepal earthquake.
