Taking note of the sloganeering by women visitors sitting in the gallery during the debate on the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Upper house on Thursday, at least four parties belonging to the Opposition INDIA bloc have written to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, asking for stringent action against the MPs who facilitated the entry of the visitors.
The otherwise peaceful debate was interrupted when the Opposition members walked out for 10 minutes, protesting the slogans of “Modi, Modi” coming from the visitors’ gallery in the afternoon session on Thursday. According to the rules, visitors in the gallery are strictly prohibited from drawing any attention to themselves. The Opposition called the incident an attempt to denigrate the Parliament.
Galleries packed
Over the four days of the Special Session of Parliament, a record number of women visitors were allowed entry inside the precincts. According to sources, nearly 2,000 to 3,000 passes were issued each day, with busloads of women visitors reaching Parliament from various parts of Delhi and the States around the national capital. The galleries were packed to the brim as the visitors sat there for ten to 15 minutes each. A bevy of women film stars and athletes also visited the Parliament to witness the debate on the Women’s Reservation Bill.
According to sources, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, Trinamool Congress MP Mausam Noor, Shiv Sena (Uddhav) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, and a member from the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party have written to Mr. Dhankhar, demanding a “thorough investigation” into the incident. More letters are expected to follow.
‘MPs must be held responsible’
In his letter, Mr. Ramesh quoted Rule 264 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Rajya Sabha, and noted that MPs can only apply for a visitor’s card for a person who is “known to him/her personally or in select cases, for those who have been introduced to the member by a person who is personally known to him”. The rule explicitly holds the MP who facilitates the entry of the visitors to be “responsible” for their conduct.
It was a matter of grave concern, Mr. Ramesh said, that over 50 visitors were able to raise slogans. “It is imperative that the incident be thoroughly investigated to identify how such a breach of security and decorum was possible within the confines of the Rajya Sabha. The individual responsible for the disruption must be held accountable for their actions. Any MP found to be involved in facilitating this incident should also face appropriate consequences,” he wrote.
Ms. Noor also urged Mr. Dhankhar that everything should be done to “protect the sanctity of the Parliament.”
Another Opposition leader commented that the presiding officers should not help the government by allowing the ruling party’s MPs to indiscriminately bend the rules. A similar incident was also reported in the Lok Sabha during the debate on the Women’s Reservation Bill.
