Centre hits back at Opposition amid Parl logjam

In a press briefing, the Centre said that the opposition “must apologise” for “disruptive (and) threatening behaviour” that forced Parliament to close two days ahead of schedule.

Putting the blame on the Opposition, a group of union ministers has said Rajya Sabha Chairman must take the strongest possible action against those who broke the rules.

The government’s statement came after the Opposition parties in a joint statement alleged that the Centre had scant respect for the institution of parliamentary democracy.

The Opposition has claimed that “outsiders who were not part of Parliament security were brought in to manhandle opposition leaders and members, including women MPs”.

Govt accuses Oppn of manhandling marshals

The government also accused the Opposition of manhandling marshals, while Union Minister Piyush Goyal said that the Opposition’s approach of “my way or highway is highly condemnable” and the country also condemns such an attitude.

Goyal, also Leader of House in Rajya Sabha, said the group of ministers met Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the House and made an earnest appeal that the strongest possible action should be taken against the opposition MPs for their deplorable behaviour and manhandling marshals.

The union minister said the Opposition was unable to digest the fact that the country has given up on them and their behaviour in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday was a “new low of the parliamentary democracy”.

Meanwhile, Anurag Thakur said that the Secretary General’s table in Rajya Sabha is not meant for dancing and protesting. Thakur was referring to an incident when an opposition leader was seen above a table inside the upper house of Parliament.

Thakur alleged that “anarchy from streets to Parliament” was the Opposition’s only agenda during the monsoon session.

“We demand that Rajya Sabha Chairman should take stringent action against those opposition MPs who broke rules,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said.

He alleged that it was pre-decided by Congress and its friendly allies that they would not allow Parliament to function.

On Wednesday, the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Venkaiah Naidu broke down over the huge ruckus in the House and equated the act of some opposition MPs to “sacrilege in the temple of democracy”.

The tumultuous Monsoon session of Parliament was on Wednesday curtailed by two days.

Leaders of several opposition parties today marched in protest against the Centre on several issues, including Pegasus, farm laws, and alleged manhandling of their MPs in Rajya Sabha, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saying the voice of people was crushed in Parliament and democracy was “murdered”.

Top leaders of several opposition parties met in the chamber of Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and then walked in protest from Parliament House to Vijay Chowk.

Those who attended the meeting included Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, Kharge, Sanjay Raut, Tiruchi Siva, Manoj Jha and other opposition leaders.

With agency inputs