Harsimrat threatens to move privilege motion against two Congress leaders
BATHINDA LOK SABHA MP SAYS CONGRESS LEADERS RENUKA CHOWDHURY AND JAIRAM RAMESH DID NOT ALLOW HER TO RAISE THE IMPORTANT MATTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY IN THE RAJYA SABHA IN THE WAKE OF A VIDEO UPLOADED ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY AAP MP BHAGWANT MANN ON THURSDAY
NEW DELHI: Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Friday threatened to move a privilege motion against senior Congress leaders Renuka Chowdhury and Jairam Ramesh for allegedly misbehaving with her in the Rajya Sabha.
Badal, a Lok Sabha member from Bathinda, alleged that the two Congress leaders did not allow her to raise the important matter of national security in the Rajya Sabha in the wake of a video uploaded on social media by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Bhagwant Mann on Thursday.
“I am astonished at the rudeness they showed while speaking to me,” she later told reporters outside Parliament. “They asked me how I could come in the House when I was not its member and also accused me of disrupting the proceedings.”
But as per rules, a minister can speak in either House of Parliament. Both houses were adjourned till Monday following uproar over Mann’s video clip.
“Chowdhury even said aisa kachra kahan se aata hai (where does such filth come from). I am going to move a privilege motion against them...this is not the way you behave with a minister,” Badal said. “For them the lives of our jawans, our people hold no value. The video clip could fall in wrong hands.”
However, Chowdhury denied the allegations. Her party colleague Kumari Selja said Badal’s move was part of the government’s tactics to ensure that that a private member bill regarding Andhra Pradesh is not taken up for discussion.
Though Badal insisted that she wanted to raised the important matter of Parliament’s security in the house, the move reflected growing political enmity between the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal and its key challenger AAP in Punjab.
Earlier in the day, Badal wanted to speak on the issue in the Rajya Sabha. But Congress members were on their feet, opposing it on the ground that she should not be allowed to speak as she is a member of the Lok Sabha.
Rajya Sabha deputy chairman PJ Kurien said he would permit Badal to speak but only after introduction of private member bills.
But BJP members did not yield and trooped into well of the house. As uproar continued, Kurien adjourned the house for the day.