With empty Opposition benches, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur, while answering a starred question in Rajya Sabha filed by Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Dola Sen, launched a broadside at the West Bengal government for allegedly intimidating journalists in the State.
At the last count, including Ms. Sen, 46 MPs had been suspended in Rajya Sabha in the winter session of Parliament. Ms. Sen had asked whether the government had any policy framework or had implemented any guidelines for ensuring the safety of journalists.
The remaining few Opposition MPs, including the Leader of the Opposition, had walked out earlier. Facing the vacant Opposition seats, Mr. Thakur said that while the Central government was committed to protecting every citizen of India, law and order was a State subject.
