New Delhi : Protests continued in parliament Wednesday over a controversial remark of union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti with the opposition demanding her resignation, disrupting the proceedings of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
A united opposition created an uproar in both houses, leading to repeated adjournments in the Rajya Sabha and once in the Lok Sabha.
This was the second consecutive day when a ruckus was created over the issue.
Both the houses got off to a stormy start, with the opposition members demanding the resignations of Sadhvi Jyoti who had reportedly used foul language in her speech at a Delhi BJP rally.
“Aapko tay karna hai ki Dilli mein sarkar Ramzadon ki banegi ya haramzadon ki. (You have to decide if you want a government in Delhi to be led by children of Lord Ram or illegitimate children),” she was quoted as saying.
In the Rajya Sabha, the members advanced to the speaker’s podium, shouted slogans and demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s explanation on the issue.
“We feel shame in repeating what the minister has said. A mere apology is unacceptable,” Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Sitaram Yechury said.
Congress leader Anand Sharma said: “We don’t accept apology; prime minister should come to the house and sack the minister. It is a cognizable and non-compoundable crime, punishable up to three years in jail.”
Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien had to thrice adjourn the proceedings of the house, before adjourning the house till 2 p.m.
Post lunch, opposition members continued shouting slogans and demanding the minister’s dismissal from mthe council of ministers.
Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Ramgopal Yadav said Jyoti’s comment was against the secular spirit of Indian Constitution.
As the din continued, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj could not read out a statement on the recent foreign visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Kurien asked her to table the statement, but the minister refused.
With the disruptions going on, the house was adjourned for half an hour and then for the day.
Similar scenes were witnessed in the Lok Sabha, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present.
Raising the issue, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said: “As the prime minister is present here today, I want the minister be asked to resign.”
“I raise the issue again as some other statements had come after that and the prime minister has also said something,” he said.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy responded, saying the minister has already apologised.
“Yesterday, the issue was discussed and the minister also apologized. Why are they raising the issue again? If they are doing for political gains, then it is not right to disrupt the parliament proceedings.”
The speaker also dismissed adjournment motion and notice for suspension of question hour.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said the minister had realised her mistake.
MPs went near the speaker’s podium shouting slogans like “PM Jawab do (prime minister must answer). The minister should resign.”
Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said all members will have to apologise if such issues get raised all the time.
“If such issues are raised, everybody will have to apologise,” she said.
The speaker also dismissed adjournment motion and notice for suspension of question hour.
However, as din continued, she adjourned the house briefly.
While sloganeering was witnessed after that too, there were no more adjournments and the house resumed work later.