New Delhi, July 25: The Lok Sabha on Tuesday witnessed heated exchanges between the treasury benches and Congress members as party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia denied he was “anti-Dalit” and demanded an apology from BJP members who said so a day earlier.
“Some baseless allegations were made against me in the house yesterday (Monday) by three Bharatiya Jata Party members. They sought to portray me as anti-Dalit. My image has been tarnished,” Scindia said in the Lok Sabha soon after the house met at 3 p.m.
BJP’s Tikamgarh MP Virendra Kumar claimed during Zero Hour on Monday that the Congress MP got a hospital in his parliamentary constituency Gu in Madhya Pradesh “purified” by sprinkling Ganga water and re-iugurated it even though it had been earlier iugurated by a Dalit BJP MLA. Kumar was supported by BJP MPs Manohar Utawal and nd Kumar Chauhan.
An infuriated Scindia, the Congress Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha, asked the BJP members to prove their charges or else resign. “I have recordings of that event. I challenge them to prove the charges. If they prove it, I will resign from the house or else the three MPs should resign,” the Congress leader said. Scindia said the members concerned should at least apologise.
Congress members, including Scindia, rushed towards the Speaker’s podium and sought an apology from Virendra Kumar, who was present in the house. Kumar wanted to respond but Speaker Sumitra Mahajan did not allow. Amid the din, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge stood up to speak, but was denied permission by the Speaker. Kharge said his voice was being suppressed.
Kharge’s remarks agitated the treasury benches and led to a heated argument with Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.N. Anth Kumar. Anth Kumar said Kharge’s remarks were against the Chair and this cannot be tolerated. Mahajan said she had allowed Scindia to speak, but he rushed towards the Speaker’s podium with other Congress members. “If you come towards the podium every now and then, how will the house function? You will have to understand this. If you don’t want the house to function, tell me in advance. I will adjourn the house.” (IANS)