The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
TMC again walks out over Sudip arrest
TMC MEMBERS on Friday staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha over the “illegal” arrest of their leader in Lok Sabha, Sudip Bandyopadhyay. They did so for the second time in this session.
TMC’S Derek O’brien said his party had given two notices — for the House observing a minute’s silence to mourn the death of over 120 people due to hardships of demonetisation, and for the “illegal” arrest of Bandyopadhyay. He said his party does not want to disturb the House by trooping into the Well but in protest of the “illegal” arrest, “we are walking out”.
Earlier, Textiles Minister Smriti Irani raised a point of order over Derek’s statement on Thursday taking the name of an individual who was not a member of the House. She appeared to defend a person linked to one of the controversial Twitter handles named for rape threats and communal propaganda. Seeking deletion of the name from yesterday’s records, Irani said, “An individual was named yesterday by my colleague Derek O’brien, that individual is not a politician, not a celebrity... he’s a common citizen who has the right to free speech but does not enjoy the privilege of this House.” Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said he would go through the records and decide.
The minister added, “As the convention of this House, I am beseeching you, kindly expunge the name of an individual as you’ve done on many occasions so the individual who cannot defend himself do so.”
O’brien had on Thursday raised the subject of Twitter trolls and their alleged connection to the ruling BJP, and said some of them were invited to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s house.
He said, “Twenty-six Twitter handles that give out rape threats, communal threats are followed by the Prime Minister of India. Twenty-six. Two of these handles have been suspended by Twitter. Now this is not Trinamool or Congress or CPM or DMK, this is an international company called Twitter.”
The MP went on to name some of the handles that he said had been suspended by Twitter. “Where are we headed, sir? And these Twitter trolls, they are paid handles. And they are invited and this is not some private thing, they are public information, it is even published now in a book. They are invited now to the PM’S house for a nice social digital media party,” he charged, referring to a party that the PM hosted two years ago for 150 “social media influencers”.