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The Centre reiterated its demand for “stringent punishment” of Opposition MPs who disrupted the Rajya Sabha proceedings during the Monsoon Session, with a group of Ministers meeting Chairman Venkaiah Naidu here on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Opposition parties reiterated that the Centre did not allow a discussion on Pegasus spyware and “stonewalled” their demands for a discussion on a range of issues of national importance.
‘Unacceptable force used’
They also met Naidu and complained that a very large number of security personnel, who were not part of the regular watch-and-ward staff of the Upper House were deployed on Wednesday when the general Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment was taken up for consideration and passed. “They used unacceptable force and physically manhandled members of parliament, including women members,” the Opposition members said in a letter to Naidu.
Cabinet Ministers such as Piyush Goyal, Pralhad Joshi and Bhupender Yadav told reporters at a press conference that they expect Chairman Venkaiah Naidu to take a decision on their request for action against some MPs of the Opposition.
‘Broke barriers’
The Ministers were responding to the charges made by the Opposition parties that the government deliberately derailed the House proceedings to avoid a discussion on Pegasus spyware issue.
Goyal said some MPs broke all barriers of allowed forms of protests and even climbed on the tables. He also denied allegations by senior MP Sharad Pawar that 40 members were brought from outside and they manhandled even women MPs. Goyal said the Opposition did not even allow Prime Minister Narendra Modi to introduce the new members in the Council of Ministers. He said the Opposition cast aspersions even on Chairman Naidu.
Earlier, the Opposition leaders claimed in a joint statement that it has become abundantly clear that the present Government does not believe in Parliamentary accountability and was running away from debate on Pegasus which resulted in a deadlock. The Opposition had been repeatedly requesting the Government to sincerely engage with the Opposition parties to break the impasse, but the Government remained arrogant, insincere and obdurate. It is the Government, which is squarely responsible for the stalemate, has refused to accept the opposition’s demand for an informed debate in both the houses,” they said in the statement after a meeting of 14 Opposition parties at the office of Opposition leader in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge.
Senior leader of the Congress Rahul Gandhi charged that the decision of the Centre to not to allow any discussions in Parliament “is nothing short of murder of democracy.”
‘Voice crushed’
“The Parliament session is over. Frankly, as far as 60 percent of the country is concerned, there has been no Parliament session because the voice of 60 per cent of this country has been crushed, humiliated and yesterday in the Rajya Sabha (the MPs were) physically beaten,” Gandhi alleged.
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