Both the Houses of Parliament, on Friday, had to be adjourned as the Congress-led Opposition and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hardened their positions over the Sonia Gandhi-Smriti Irani face-off and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s remark on President Droupadi Murmu.
In both the Houses, the ruling party members including Ministers were on their seats, demanding an apology from the Congress chief. The Congress MPs, on the other hand, demanded an apology from the Union Minister for allegedly ‘heckling’ Ms. Gandhi in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge shot off a letter to Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu, questioning how Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal were allowed to refer to Ms. Gandhi in the Upper House, who is a member of Lok Sabha.
“In this regard, I wish to draw your attention to ruling made by R. Venkataraman the-then Hon’ble Chairman of Rajya Sabha on 15 April, 1987 wherein he inter alia observed ‘No person who is not a member of this House can be referred to in the House in a derogatory manner or in any other way affecting his reputation. I also request that they tender their apology for their violation of sacrosanct conventions of the House’...I also request that they tender their apology for their violation of sacrosanct conventions of the House ,” Mr. Kharge said in his letter.
Rajya Sabha adjourned for 10th day
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the tenth day without taking up any major business as members from both the Opposition and Treasury Benches were on their feet when the House met at 11 a.m.
The Opposition members demanded a discussion on the hooch tragedy in Gujarat and on the price rise while ruling party members were shouting slogans against the Congress President and sought an apology.
In the Lok Sabha, Opposition members, mostly Congress MPs, came to the Well shouting slogans against the government. Women members of the BJP, who were standing in the second row of the Treasury Benches, too stood up and shouted counter slogans.
Kirit Solanki, who was in the chair, requested the members to go back to their seats but eventually, adjourned the House till 12.
Similar scenes were seen when proceedings resumed.
As the uproar continued, BJP member Rajendra Agarwal, who was presiding over the proceedings, allowed laying of Parliamentary papers and adjourned the House till Monday
The principal Opposition party’s aggressive stance followed a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) that was chaired by Ms. Gandhi.
The Congress members then protested in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue inside the Parliament complex.
Mr. Chowdhury, who apologised to President Murmu in a letter, said, “I should have been given an opportunity in the House to counter the charges against me. Secondly, the way the ruling side targeted Sonia Gandhi ji in the House, the government should express regret and apologise. The issue is connected with me but the BJP’s targeting her shows political hollowness”.
To get a rundown of the day’s developments in Parliament in your inbox, subscribe to our Parliament Watch newsletter here. You can also read the latest edition of the newsletter here. Also, check out Parliament Watch from The Hindu, a podcast that keeps you updated on every working day of Parliament.
