Janjivan Bureau / New Delhi: Congress members in the Lok Sabha today raised anti-government slogans on various issues, accusing it of adopting a “dictatorial” attitude but the proceedings continued amid disturbances.
Congress leader Mallikarjuna Kharge said Why are two yardsticks being applied i.e. one for BJP Member, Anurag Thakur and another for the six suspended Congress members?
Autocracy and obduracy of the BJP government can be gauged from the fact that while six Congress members stand suspended for a period of five days with government refusing to bring a Motion for terminating the suspension, it refuses to refer the matter of live recording of Parliamentary proceedings by BJP Member Anurag Thakur to the Privileges Committee. May we recollect that Bhagwant Maan, MP was suspended for the entire session for a similar offence. As Thakur gets to walk away by a simple warning, opposition members bear the burnt of a tyrannical government hell bent upon suppressing opposition voice.
As soon as the House took up the Question Hour, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue of cow vigilantism. But Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said he would not be allowed to raise any issue during the Question Hour.
Soon, Congress members trooped into the Well and raised slogans such as “Pradhan Mantri jawab do (PM should reply)”, “tanashahi nahin chalegi (end dictatorship)”, “jaat ke nam par rajniti band karo (End politics in the name of caste)”.
Kharge alleged BJP government has adopted a ‘fascist approach’ and ‘dictatorial agenda’ in preventing the Lok Sabha from debating the issues facing the Nation.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has once again shied away from the debate in Lok Sabha escaping accountability and answers that people of India seek in light of the all pervading volatility. PM chooses to speak to captive audiences in BJP rallies but misses every opportunity for a meaningful debate to answer the questions and elaborate on a policy road map qua issues affecting the country.
Soon members from the Trinamool Congress also entered the Well, but did not join the Congress members in raising slogans.
After the Question Hour, the Congress members continued to protest and sought to raise various issues ranging from lynchings in the name of protecting cows and the farmers’ plight.
As external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj rose to make a statement on the Indians missing in Mosul city of Iraq, Congress members were unrelenting and Kharge was heard saying that they wanted to raise issues related to mob lynching and farmers.
With the din continuing, the Speaker adjourned the House till 1245 hours.