High-voltage drama and heated exchanges between the ruling government and opposition benches continued to disrupt proceedings in the Rajya Sabha during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament on Wednesday, 29 July.
The Upper House witnessed a sharp war of words between Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and Bharatiya Janata Party leader JP Nadda over the issue of police action against protesters in New Delhi.
Raising the issue of alleged unauthorised intervention and the crackdown on protesters, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge demanded strict action against those responsible.
“I request you, people who have gone there unauthorised, they should be punished. Why have they gone? Who are they? Who ordered them? Who ordered? I am asking who are… who asked them to go there? Who ordered? That is why…” Kharge said amid sloganeering in the House.
I have been arrested many times: Nadda
Responding to the allegations and specifically addressing comments made by CPI(M) MP John Brittas and Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge, JP Nadda defended the police action, describing it as a “normal law and order situation.”
“Whatever my friend John Brittas has said, this is a very normal law and order situation that we have to understand. I have been a student activist. I have been arrested many times from the classroom in emergency days when the Congress party was ruling. I have been arrested. I have been arrested,” Nadda said.
Asserting that activists must be prepared to face the consequences of law-and-order situations, Nadda added, “It is a normal situation. A student activist has to face… and those who take law and order in their own hand, the police has to act accordingly. And the police has acted accordingly for those cases. They are trying to sensationalise. It is a normal law and order activity which the police undertakes.”
Recalling his own experience during the Emergency, the BJP leader further remarked, “And any student activist who wants to do activism should face this. Even I have faced it not once, but many times. When there was the Emergency, I was arrested from the classroom, not once but twice. So this is a very normal situation.”
Following the uproar, the Rajya Sabha adjourned to meet again at 12 Noon. Later it was adjourned again.
The incident relates to July 20, when protesters organised a ‘Sansad Chalo’ march from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament over their demands, during which instances of lathicharge and tear gas shelling were reported as security personnel moved to disperse the gathering.
The 37-day-long CJP student agitation at Jantar Mantar was withdrawn after the government assured protesters of action on their demands.
Similar unruly scenes were witnessed in Lok Sabha too, Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi also targeted Home Minister Amit Shah and accused him of authorising police excesses against student protesters. Gandhi also claimed that Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological fountainhead of the Bhratitiya Janata Party (BJP) had ‘captured’ the country’s education system.
Rahul’s remarks drew strong objections from ruling party members, who demanded an apology from the Rae Bareli Member of Parliament (MP).
“The home minister is not here today because he is scared,” Gandhi said, drawing objections from the treasury benches.
The home minister ‘authorised’ police action against students, the Congress leader alleged, referring to the crackdown by security forces during the CJP march to Parliament on July 20 over the NEET paper leak issue.
I request you, people who have gone there unauthorised, they should be punished. Why have they gone? Who are they? Who ordered them?
Speaker Om Birla immediately intervened, saying the discussion was not on the Home Minister.
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