New Delhi: Heated exchanges were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha Tuesday as the opposition once again raised the issue of religious conversions and refused to relent unless Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured the house of action. The main accused in the religious conversion case, meanwhile, surrendered in Agra.
BJP sources said Modi Tuesday warned party MPs at the parliamentary board meeting against crossing the “Lakshman Rekha” (limits) by making controversial statements.
Nand Kishore, the main accused in the religious conversion case, surrendered in Agra Tuesday. He was the most wanted accused named in the police complaint and carried a reward of Rs.12,000 on his head.
The issue, meanwhile, stalled the tabling of the insurance bill which figures at the top of the government agenda for the session.
The treasury and opposition benches in the Rajya Sabha were involved in heated exchanges as government members alleged that the opposition did not want a debate but mere disruptions.
“The issue is that you want anarchy and disruptions,” an angry Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said as opposition members obstructed him while he was speaking in the upper house.
Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien said it was “unparliamentary language” that the minister used and urged the chair to expunge it.
Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien pointed out to the members that the Leader of the House should not be obstructed while he was speaking.
Congress leader Anand Sharma accused the government of being arrogant in not calling the prime minister to the house, and also of not allowing opposition members to speak.
Throughout the day, the house witnessed repeated adjournments.
While government members repeatedly accused the opposition of running away from a discussion, the opposition continued to insist that there cannot be a debate unless Modi comes to the house.
“There are repeated incidents. No action is being taken by the government, and you are asking us to just discuss it,” Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav said.
“The kind of comments the ruling party MPs are making, we cannot accept it,” Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agarwal said.
Kurien reprimanded the members repeatedly, but the disruptions continued.
The house saw repeated adjournments, the first coming shortly after it met at 11 a.m., when Kurien adjourned the house for 15 minutes, and then till noon.
At noon, when Chairman M. Hamid Ansari arrived, the disruptions forced a brief adjournment, before Ansari adjourned the house till 2 p.m. The protests continued post lunch and the house was adjourned till 2.30 p.m., and then for the day without taking up any business. (IANS)