The final day of Parliament’s Monsoon session ended in a washout after weeks of severe disruptions and repeated adjournments. The deadlock stemmed from a clash between the government and the Opposition over the Opposition’s demand that Union Home Minister Amit Shah make a statement on alleged police excesses during the July 20 protest in New Delhi.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on Thursday (August 13), despite the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi in the House. The adjournment came after the recital of Vande Mataram.
In the Rajya Sabha, proceedings continued amid protests and sloganeering by Opposition members before the House was also adjourned sine die.
Kharge raises Haldwani issue
Earlier, ruckus broke out in the Rajya Sabha as Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that a site he visited in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani earlier this week for a party function was “purified” by people of the BJP after he left the place.
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Leader of the House JP Nadda said the incident was indeed a very sad one and the BJP doesn’t subscribe to such views. “We will investigate this, but I condemn such activities and assure you that the BJP doesn’t subscribe to such things,” added Nadda.
Kharge said he doesn’t want to make this into a political issue and that he never plays up his Dalit identity for sympathy or gains, but this incident has deeply hurt him and must be condemned.
As Kharge accuses the BJP of the incident, Nadda says the LoP must not repeatedly accuse the BJP “when I have already said we will investigate this and we condemn”.
Treasury MPs tried to shout down Kharge as he demanded registration of a case and arrest of those involved.
Chairman CP Radhakrishnan said, “If untouchability is not a sin, then there is no other sin in the world… We all condemn this (incident)… Those who have done the wrong thing should be caught and investigated”.
Protests at Makar Dwar
Earlier, the Parliament premises witnessed protests and counter-protests by both the Opposition INDIA bloc and the ruling BJP at the steps of Makar Dwar inside the Parliament complex.
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While the BJP stated a protest against Rahul over the Congress’ alleged lack of acknowledgement of the ongoing students’ agitation in Jharkhand, the Opposition MPs responded with a counter-protest led by Congress MP Pawan Khera apparently targeting PM Modi. They raised slogans 56 inch ka chhota bandar, jaldi aao sadan ke andar.”
War of words
“The Opposition does not want to hear the Home Minister’s speech; they do not wish to listen to a long lecture. We wanted the government to clarify who ordered the pellet gun firing, but that explanation was not provided. He is a very powerful figure, yet he failed to run the House; let us see what happens now…The entire government is responsible. It is not our responsibility to run the House; it is theirs. It is their job to persuade and convince the opposition,” said TMC MP Saugata Roy as quoted by YEARS.
Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla alleged that the Centre was responsible for the washout. “There is no accountability whatsoever. On the very last day, he (HM Amit Shah) stands up and declares, ‘I am ready.’ So, what were you doing for the past 20 days? You were right here in the Parliament complex but did not step into the House; this implies that he himself did not want the House to function. The ruling party is responsible for this. The role of the opposition is to raise issues so that the government takes cognisance of them. If they had listened to Rahul Gandhi earlier, the entire country would not be witnessing this situation today,” she added.