New Delhi, Feb 10: The victory of the BJP in the Delhi Assembly polls was hailed by ruling party members with chanting of “Mod, Modi” slogans in both houses of Parliament on Monday.
Soon after the Lok Sabha met for the day, members of the BJP got up and called out “Mod, Modi” slogans, with the Congress MPs objecting to the same.
The sloganeering by the treasury benches continued for a brief while before Speaker Om Birla called for the Question Hour.
Congress member Gaurav Gogoi and Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee were also seen raising some issues.
When proceedings of the Upper House started at 11 am, euphoric BJP members immediately started sloganeering in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
However, the sloganeering was paused for a while when Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar extended birthday greetings to BJP member Sanjay Seth and then again started immediately thereafter. BJP members started chanting “Delhi ke dil me Modi hai, Desh ke dil me Modi hai”.
This was objected to by the opposition members including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. Congress whip in Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh also stood up and raised objections saying it was against democracy.
Dhankhar pacified the members from both sides and called for the laying of papers, but BJP members again started chanting ‘Modi Modi’.
At this, Kharge told Dhankhar: “This has happened three times. What are you doing?” Responding to him, Dhankhar said, “I am addressing it”.
Immediately after the laying of papers was over, Dhankhar made an appeal to the members and said he would not appreciate any disturbances.
“We are the council of states. We are the House of elders. It is required of us to patiently hear anyone who has been legitimately given the floor by the chairman. I will not appreciate any disturbance. There are occasions when people are euphoric and otherwise also.
“This House has to send a very sober message that it is meant for expression, dialogue and we will uphold it. I am sure that the leader of the House and the leader of the opposition will extend their warmest cooperation to me,” the chairman said, with Leader of the House J P Nadda nodding in affirmation.
After that the chairman called Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for her zero hour submission in the House over people deprived of entitlements under the National Food Security Act 2013.
MP Engineer Rashid gets parole to attend session
Clarifying it wasn’t a precedent, the Delhi High Court on Monday allowed a two-day custody parole to jailed J&K MP Rashid Engineer to attend the Parliament session.
Justice Vikas Mahajan, however, clarified the order was passed on account of Rashid having no other remedy due to non-availability of a court to hear his bail plea and the relief should not be construed as a precedent.
Rashid was allowed to attend the Parliament sessions on February 11 and 13.
“If access to justice is a facet of fundamental rights, then non-availability of forum for disposal of applicant’s application for bail, either interim or regular, renders the petitioner remediless for the time being, and concomitantly deprives him of the aforesaid right,” the court said.
The order said it would not “completely negate” Rashid’s plea for custody parole. (PTI)