The administration stated today that the opposition must apologise for “disruptive (and) threatening behaviour” that prompted Parliament to close two days early, denying claims that “outsiders not part of Parliament security were brought in to manhandle opposition MPs, including women.”
An array of eight union ministers, each of whom took turns lashing out in response to an equally furious attack by the opposition this morning – both underscoring the hostility and anger that has marked this monsoon session – delivered a furious response to an equally furious attack by the opposition.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi accused the opposition of “actually threatening that if (the government) attempts to pass more) bills, even more damage will be done.”
“We had to make the choice to conclude the monsoon session early because the opposition was literally threatening that if we tried to pass further laws (after the OBC and Insurance acts), we would do much more significant harm in Parliament,” he said.
Piyush Goyal, the Textiles Minister, also fired a shot, claiming that a lady marshal in the Rajya Sabha had been harmed, despite the opposition’s accusations that its MPs had been physically assaulted.
“A female marshal was abused… “On Wednesday, the opposition’s behaviour in the Rajya Sabha was a new low for parliamentary democracy,” he added, dismissing claims of external forces. “There were 30 marshals… 18 men, 12 women.” There was no one brought in from the outside “..
Mr Goyal demanded a “thorough probe” and “severe punishment” for individuals found guilty of “such damaging activities.” He stated, “The findings should be made public for the entire nation to see.”
He further addressed Mr Gandhi’s claim that the opposition was not permitted to speak, pointing out that deliberations on COVID-19 and the OBC Bill had taken place.
“They will allow the House to function when it suits them, otherwise they will hold it hostage,” he stated.
“A female marshal was abused… “On Wednesday, the opposition’s behaviour in the Rajya Sabha was a new low for parliamentary democracy,” he added, dismissing claims of external forces. “There were 30 marshals… 18 men, 12 women.” There was no one brought in from the outside “..
Mr Goyal demanded a “thorough probe” and “severe punishment” for individuals found guilty of “such damaging activities.” He stated, “The findings should be made public for the entire nation to see.”
He further addressed Mr Gandhi’s claim that the opposition was not permitted to speak, pointing out that deliberations on COVID-19 and the OBC Bill had taken place.
“They will allow the House to function when it suits them, otherwise they will hold it hostage,” he stated.
“The people of this country have entrusted the government with a responsibility… But we’ve all seen how the opposition has made Parliament dysfunctional by refusing to allow it to function. The opposition should be ashamed and apologise, “Anurag Thakur, the Minister of Sports, stated.
Minority Affairs Minister MA Naqvi and Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav, as well as Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, junior Parliamentary Affairs Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, and junior Foreign Minister V Muraleedharan, were all part of the government’s retort.
Earlier today, Rahul Gandhi, a Congress MP, and around a dozen other opposition leaders met to protest the monsoon session’s sudden closure and claimed assaults on MPs, including women.
“Without provocation, strangers who were not part of Parliament security were brought in to manhandle opposition leaders and members, including women MPs who were just denouncing the government’s behaviour, highhandedness, and muzzling of their voice,” according to a joint statement.
Sharad Pawar, the leader of the Nationalist Congress Party, criticised the government, stating that in his 55 years in parliament, he had never seen his female colleagues being insulted. “It is excruciatingly uncomfortable. It’s a slap in the face to democracy “‘Over 40 Rajya Sabha marshals have been deployed,’ he said.
Mr Goyal pressed the senior leader to take action “”Someone may have provided him erroneous information,” he reflected. I’d like to state unequivocally that there was no outsider in Parliament.”
After opposition protests caused several daily adjournments, Parliament, which opened on July 19 and was slated to expire on Friday, was declared closed yesterday.
The government claims that the Lok Sabha was only 22% productive while the Rajya Sabha was 28% productive.
In recent weeks, a united opposition has been merciless in its attacks on the government, bringing up matters like as the Pegasus phone-hacking scandal, farmer protests, and fuel price hikes.
The opposition has blamed the government for Parliament’s non-functioning, claiming that the government has ignored their repeated calls for extensive discussions on subjects such as the Pegasus affair and the farmers’ strike.
