When sparks flew in UP assembly over Mahatma’s 125th birth anniv
LUCKNOW : The Uttar Pradesh assembly, which is holding a 36-hour special session to pay respect to Mahatma Gandhi to mark his 150th birth anniversary, has come a long way since the 125th birth anniversary celebrations of the Father of the Nation about 25 years ago.
A piquant situation unfolded in the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha on July 20, 1995 on the issue.
The then Congress member Naresh Agarwal, who is now in the BJP, had raised a question of propriety, saying the then chief minister Mayawati had stayed away from a meeting of the committee of which she was the officiating vice chairperson.
He said the governor had constituted the committee to celebrate the 125th birth anniversary of the Mahatma.
“Proceedings of this House are conducted on the directives of the governor. So, the committee constituted by the governor (to celebrate the 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi) is responsible for the House.
The chief minister’s decision not to attend the meeting of the committee is disrespect to the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi,” Agarwal said in the state assembly.
Soon, the government, through the then minister for parliamentary affairs Hriday Narayan Dikshit, clarified that there was no question of any disrespect to the governor, who was the Constitutional head.
“As far as participation in the meeting was concerned, there is another committee constituted for celebrating the 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi that has been constituted on the directive of the governor. That is called an executive committee... This meeting was of the executive committee and the chief minister is not a member of the executive committee. Hence, there is no question of the chief minister not attending its meeting,” said the minister for parliamentary affairs.
It was, however, not for the first time that Mayawati was in focus for her stance on Mahatma Gandhi.
When the Samajwadi Party-BSP coalition government was in power, the then chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav faced embarrassment following some objectionable remarks by Mayawati, who was the BSP general secretary and a Rajya Sabha member.
On March 16, 1994, Congress members led by party leader Pramod Tiwari went to the well of the House and began demanding the arrest of BSP chief Mayawati for her observations against Mahatma Gandhi.
Congress members raised slogans of “Mayawati go giraftar karo” (Arrest Mayawati) and “Mayawati ke Rajya Sabha ki sadasyata samapt karo” (disqualify Mayawati from membership of Rajya Sabha) and sat on floor of the House to press their demands. Other slogans raised there included “Rashtrapita ka yeh apman, nahin sahega Hindustan.”
On March 17, 1994, the BJP, the Congress and the Janata Dal members entered the well of the House, shouting slogans.
Congress member Jagdambika Pal said the government should clarify its position on the policies of Gandhi. Congress member Pramod Tiwari demanded that the BJP (in opposition) should also clarify its position vis-à-vis Mahatma Gandhi.
As leader of opposition, BJP leader Kalyan Singh (on March 17, 1994) said, “This House is debating a serious issue….My party has all the respect for Mahatma Gandhi. No BJP member has said a word against Mahatma Gandhi and there is no question of any BJP member showing any disrespect to Mahatma Gandhi. If anybody is showing respect to Mahatma Gandhi by calling him the Father of the Nation, I will call Mahatma Gandhi the Father of the Nation 108 times…..”
He also said, “…Nathu Ram Godse killed Mahatma Gandhi. We condemn the killing and the killer…The accusation that the BJP felicitates the killer of Mahatma Gandhi is wrong. Nathu Ram Godse killed the respected Mahatma Gandhi.
This was a condemnable act. But will there be any punishment for those who are killing the ideals and principles of Mahatma Gandhi three to four times a day?…. Nathuram Godse had nothing to do with the RSS and court has ruled on this issue.
The BJP condemns anybody that shows disrespect to Mahatma Gandhi. It also condemns the killers of Mahatma Gandhi.”
The then minister for panchayati raj Ram Lakhan Verma on March 17, 1994 said, “Since Mayawati is not a member of this House the issue should not be debated here.”
“I welcome your ruling… This House is debating the observation made by our general secretary Mayawati. She said that if Mahatma Gandhi called Harijan the people of God then were others the people of devil. She did not make any comment on Mahatma Gandhi. We are disciplined and believe in discipline,” he said.
ON MARCH 17, 1994, THE BJP, THE CONGRESS AND THE JANATA DAL MEMBERS ENTERED THE WELL OF THE HOUSE, SHOUTING SLOGANS.