Parliament disrupted over Moga incident

Both Houses of Parliament were disrupted and faced adjournments on Tuesday over the alleged sexual molestation of a teenage girl in Moga, Punjab.

In the Lok Sabha, it was former Punjab Chief Minister and Amritsar MP Amarinder Singh who led the charge, pressing for an adjournment motion on the issue.

While Speaker Sumitra Mahajan refused to allow the adjournment motion, Amarinder raised the issue during Zero Hour, alleging that there are several criminal cases, including nine incidents of people having been run over by buses belonging to the transport company owned by the Badals.

The Rajya Sabha had to be adjourned as the Akalis clashed with a united opposition which attacked them for deteriorating law and order in Punjab.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury referred to a statement made by Punjab Higher Education Minister Sukhbir Singh Rakhra to the effect that what happened to the 13-year-old girl aboard a bus belonging to Orbit Aviation, a company owned by Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, was “God’s will”.

The girl was allegedly molested and she and her mother were thrown out of the bus. The girl succumbed to her injuries while her mother is still battling for her life.

Yechury snubbed Akali MP Naresh Gujral, who objected to the Deputy Chairman allowing him to raise what he claimed was a “State subject”.

“It is not a State subject, Mr Naresh Gujral. Any atrocities on women, tribals and Dalits cannot be considered just a State subject… The point is that a Minister has said that this is an act of God, there is no crime in it… I think such a Minister should not remain in office,” Yechury pressed on even as the Akalis demanded that his mike be switched off.

The issue was first raised by Congress leaders Ambika Soni, Anand Sharma and Ghulam Nabi Azad, who demanded a discussion even though they had not given notices for the same.

BSP chief Mayawati, a rare speaker in Parliament, took up the issue strongly, ignoring the protesting Akali Dal MPs including Naresh Gujral, Balwinder Singh Bhundar and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa.

“A young girl has died. Her mother is still battling for life. That girl’s life will not be recreated. But you can ensure justice for her. Justice should be ensured by acting against the company that owns the bus and the owners of that company.

“They are guilty of atrocities against women, Dalits. The Central government has to intervene,” she said.