Cong forces RS washout over its Gujarat MLA’s ‘abduction’
Congress members on Friday forced a washout of the Rajya Sabha proceedings in the pre-lunch session, causing four adjournments, as they protested the alleged abduction of a Congress MLA by the Gujarat Police.
The Congress alleged that the Gujarat police had abducted its MLA in the state with a view to influence the upcoming elections to the Upper House.
Congress members repeatedly trooped into the Well of the House raising anti-government slogans and charging the BJP with “stealing” MLAs to help its candidates win the Rajya Sabha polls, forcing brief adjournments one after the other and finally till 1430 hours.
As they raised slogans like “stop murder of democracy”, members from the treasury benches asked the Congress to “put its own house in order”.
The House was adjourned twice during Zero Hour and then twice again during the Question Hour.
Soon after the House assembled, deputy chairman PJ Kurien first adjourned the proceedings for 10 minutes as Congress leaders, including Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad and Congress’ deputy leader Anand Sharma, raised the issue and the party members stormed the Well raising slogans.
Azad said he was not raising the issue of three Congress MLAs who had resigned from the party and one of them being immediately named as the BJP candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls.
He said Punabhai Gamit, MLA from reserved constituency of Vyara, after attending district Congress executive committee, had gone for a cup of tea to another MLA’s house when district superintendent of police “abducted” him.
Azad alleged that the police officer told the MLA that Congress has decided not to give him a ticket for the upcoming assembly polls. So he should leave the party and join the BJP and he would arrange his meeting with the BJP president and get him the ticket, he claimed.
The legislator managed to flee when he asked the police officer to allow him to get a changeover of clothes, he claimed.
“You are stealing MLAs by using the police (to garner votes),” Azad said.”
The charge was vehemently denied by minister of sate for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, saying “this is wrong. The Election Commission is conducting free and fair elections.”
Union minister Parshottam Rupala sought to counter Congress charge saying it was an internal matter of the Congress whose MLAs, including the leader of the party in the Gujarat assembly, were deserting it.
“Why are you complaining here,” he said, adding “You are not taking care of your own house and are accusing us. Your own people are leaving you”.