BJP, Cong members scuffle in House

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 2

With the residents of northeast Delhi still coming to grips with the riots and the death toll rising, the government and the Opposition on Monday literally came to blows in the Lok Sabha. Both Houses of Parliament witnessed repeated adjournments over the issue of a debate on the Delhi riots.

The Lok Sabha saw serial adjournments and ugly clashes between the opposing camps which reached a crescendo post lunch when members of both sides physically pushed one another to make their point.

Repeated pleas from Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for restoration of order went in vain as did requests of the Rajya Sabha presiding officers. Both Houses were adjourned for the day without transaction of much business, though the Lok Sabha saw the introduction of two Bills and the taking up of Direct Taxes Vivaad se Vishwas Bill.

Congress MPs carried banners seeking Amit Shah’s resignation and at one point even placed a banner on the Speaker’s chair. The Lok Sabha was finally adjourned at 4.30 pm after four interruptions during the day.

On one occasion things got particularly worse when Congress MPs Gaurav Gogoi and Ravneet Bittu went up to the fourth row on the treasury side to prevent BJP's Sanjay Jaiswal from speaking on the Vivaad se Vishwas Bill.

As Opposition MPs moved beyond the well to impermissible spaces in the House, ruling MPs from behind rushed ahead and a scuffle ensued with opposite sides shoving one another. Both Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi were in the Lok Sabha as the situation went out of hands and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi accused the Congress of fanning communal fires.

Two opposite side Dalit women MPs also sparred with Congress’ Ramya Haridas from Kerala alleging that BJP’s Jaskaran Meena had assaulted her when she was in the

well. Claiming she was heckled because she was Dalit, Haridas wrote to the Speaker demanding immediate justice.

Meena, also a Dalit, counter alleged victimisation, saying she only told Haridas to mind herself after the banner the latter was holding hit Meena on the head. There was no suo motu government statement in Parliament on the riots today with the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha questioning the silence on the issue.

The Congress, meanwhile, warned that it would continue with protests and would keep seeking a debate on Delhi violence along with Home Minister Shah's resignation.

That was a signal of continued parliamentary disruption after the houses today met for the first day after the Budget Session break.

Earlier the Lok Sabha was adjourned until 2 pm as a mark of respect for sitting JD(U) member Baidyanath Mahto who died recently.

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