New Delhi: Congress MPs protested in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday on House chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar expunging the ‘mauni baba’ (silence) remark made by party president and opposition leader Makkikarjun Kharge a day earlier targetting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
It is not an unparliamentary word and had been even used by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Kharge said and urged the chairman to check the records. The chairman, however, ignored the objection to his ruling and continued the business. “You are a very senior member, sir. This does not suit you. Don’t use these juicy expressions,” Dhankhar had told Kharge.
Kharge points out to his freedom of speech
Any direction or rule of the House cannot subvert the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech granted to MPs, Kharge said, asserting that any criticism of the government and its policies can never be equated with the “dignity” of the Council of States. He asserted that it would be an “inversion of the system of governance” if the opposition members were expected to carry out complete investigation, gather evidence and then raise a matter on the floor of the House.
The Congress members did not pursue the matter further, though Kharge registered protest at the remarks against Modi being removed from the proceedings. “Don’t be so harsh to the opposition,” he said. Opposition leaders expressed disappointment over Modi’s reply to the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s address in Rajya Sabha and said he “did not talk about the main issue” raised by them.
Chavan refers to Hindernberg-Adani row
Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan referred to the Hindernberg-Adani row and said opposition parties had raised questions about investments of SBI and LIC in the Adani group whose shares had seen a steep downfall.“Modi did not talk about the main issue neither in the Rajya Sabha nor in the Lok Sabha. The role of the Modi government in this entire Adani controversy was not answered,” Chavan alleged. “We (Congress) are worried about the common man and the losses they have incurred due to their investments in LIC and SBI. Modi will continuously attack the Congress in the session but will not answer the main issue,” he said. Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh said a joint parliamentary committee should be set up to look into the Adani issue. The Adani group had been “given” contracts across sectors such as gas, electricity, water, land, seaports, airports, steel and cement, he alleged.
“PM Modi did not answer any of the questions raised by the opposition. All we demand is an investigation,” he said. Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MP K Keshava Rao alleged that Modi “dodged the main Adani question” which is not correct in a democratic country.CPI-M leader Dr V Sivadasan alleged that the government is not addressing the demand for a joint parliamentary probe.Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj Jha alleged that the PM did not touch problems of people in his speech.
