Headlines
Congress complains about 'attempt to assault' party MPs
New Delhi, Aug 11
Congress leader in the Lok
Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday alleged that BJP members "tried to
assault" two Congress MPs - Ravneet Singh Bittu and Gaurav Gogoi - while
they were protesting on the Lalit Modi issue in the house, following
which they lodged a complaint with Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.
Talking
to newspersons here, Kharge said it was the government's responsibility
to run the house smoothly but members of the treasury benches had come
near the speaker's podium.
He said Congress members were
protesting to press demands of the party that include resignation of
External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara
Raje over their alleged help to former IPL chief Lalit Modi and of
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan over the Vyapam scam.
"Such
protests have been carried out for the past few days but members of the
treasury benches came to the well (of the house). There was an attempt
to assault two party MPs by members of the ruling party. They were
elbowed. An attempt was made to push them. This has happened for the
first time," Kharge said.
Stating that they have complained to the speaker, Kharge said there was TV footage available to ascertain facts.
Bharatiya
Janata Party members came near the podium when union minister Uma
Bharti was about to speak against the Congress protest.
They
sought to block Congress members, who were raising slogans and carrying
placards, from spreading out in front of the treasury benches.
The Congress members have been protesting in this manner since the start of the session.
The BJP members went back to their seats after Uma Bharti spoke.
Uma Bharti had earlier come near the podium and urged BJP members to join her but Sushma Swaraj asked them to take their seats.
Kharge
said BJP members keep highlighting that ruling the National Democratic
Alliance has about 330 members in the house while the Congress has 44.
"They have a dictatorial attitude. They want to tell 'we have majority'," he said.
The lower house saw two adjournments in the post-lunch session before being adjourned for the day.