Lok Sabha: Bittu raises assault on Sikh driver; chair says state issue

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 21

Congress MP from Ludhiana Ravneet Singh Bittu on Friday clashed with the presiding officer in Lok Sabha when the officer said the issue of assault on a Sikh driver in Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar was a state issue.

“Is this a state issue? Who control Delhi Police? Don’t you even know that the Union Home Ministry controls the Delhi police?” Bittu said to Gujarat BJP MP Kiritbhai Solanki who was in the chair during the Zero Hour.

Solanki was filling in for Speaker Om Birla who was away for an official engagement.

There was a brief ruckus in the House when Solanki cut Bittu short.

“Will you now crush the voice of minorities? I am speaking about an article of faith about my religion. The incident was reprehensible because Delhi Police beat up an innocent Sarabjit Singh and his minor son after the duo refused to pay them extortion money,” Bittu said.

The Congress MP from Punjab said Sarabjit Singh is 60 years old and his son only 16.

“The two most important articles of faith for any Sikh are his hair and his turban. Both were tossed around by Delhi Police. Section 295 A which should have been invoked was not invoked. We want to ask Union Minister and Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Badal what did she do about this? It is also sad that to date Home Minister Amit Shah has not said a thing about this matter,” Bittu said in Lok Sabha.

In the chair, Solanki prevented Bittu from raising the matter saying “it is a state issue” to which Bittu objected strongly.

“This is not a state issue. Home Ministry controls Delhi Police,” he said.