Panel formed to inquire into unruly incidents in Lok Sabha

March 6, 2020
New Delhi, March 6 (IANS) A committee headed by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will inquire into unruly incidents witnessed in the Lower House of Parliament between March 2 and 5.

“The Speaker has formed a committee to inquire into these incidents and submit a report to the House,” Kirit Premjibhai Solanki informed the House while presiding over the proceedings during the day.

Solanki said that the Speaker will head the committee, with one member each from all political parties represented in the House. Solanki later adjourned the House till 12.45 pm.

But before the adjournment, the Lower House passed the Mineral Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020. Earlier, the Lok Sabha witnessed an adjournment over opposition demand to discuss Delhi violence in February.

“It is yet to be formed as of Friday afternoon. One member each from each party will be on the committee. All parties will forward the names of their respective members to be included in the panel,” Union Minister Prakash Javadekar told IANS.

Javadekar said that the committee will discuss the acts of indiscipline since Monday as well as the demand to revoke the decision to suspend seven Congress MPs from the Lok Sabha for the remaining session.

On Thursday, the seven Congress MPs were suspended for alleged unruly behaviour till the end of second sitting of the Budget session on April 3.

The current session, that resumed on March 2, has witnessed frequent adjournments due to the opposition protests, primarily the Congress, over violence that erupted on February 23 in northeast Delhi. The Congress is demanding the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha on Friday, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said: “The government doesn’t want to keep any MPs outside Parliament. But what happened on Thursday has never happened in 70 years since India’s independence.”

Replying to Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Joshi said that such behaviour should not be displayed in the House. “Earlier, inappropriate words were said against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in the House but we did not do anything.”

The Congress MPs, meanwhile, kept shouting their demand for justice in the Lok Sabha.

Speaking before Joshi in the Lok Sabha, Chowdhury said: “Seven of our MPs were suspended for the entire Budget session. We don’t know on what basis this was done? This is not a minor thing. We only want a discussion on Delhi violence.”