Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on July 26 said that he was “insulted” when his microphone was turned off while he was speaking during the session on Tuesday. He called it a breach of his Parliamentary privilege.
For the fifth day in a row, the Upper House saw acrimonious exchanges between the government and the Opposition, with the latter walking out in the post-lunch session to protest Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s continued absence from Parliament.
The day began with 42 notices moved by the Opposition demanding a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, all of which were rejected by Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. Amidst sloganeering from both sides, Mr. Kharge rose to speak. Referring to Tuesday’s proceedings, he said he had not been allowed to speak in the House and that his microphone was turned off.
“It was a breach of my privilege... My self-respect has been challenged. If the House is run on the instructions of the government, then I understand that it is not a democracy,” he said.
The Congress, according to sources, is planning to escalate this issue and is exploring the possibility of moving a privilege motion.
After a brief adjournment, the two sides clashed again during the Question Hour. Congress MP Amee Yajnik, who was to ask a supplementary question on the performance of Indian universities, instead asked why the women Ministers in the Cabinet were silent on sexual violence in Manipur. At this, Union Minister Smriti Irani launched a blistering attack on the Opposition. “I take strong objection to this because women Ministers and women politicians have spoken not only on Manipur, but also on Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Bihar. Tell me, when will you have the guts to discuss Rajasthan? When will you have the guts to discuss Chhattisgarh, when will you have the courage to discuss what is happening in Bihar?” Ms. Irani asked.
When the Upper House of Parliament reassembled after lunch, Deputy Chairman Harivansh called Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda to move the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill, 2022, amid demands from the Opposition members for a discussion on the Manipur issue. The Opposition staged a walkout, flagging the Prime Minister’s absence for five consecutive sittings.
Mr. Kharge said that the government was not giving an opportunity to the Opposition to put forth their views nor did it want to listen to their demands.
