The Lok Sabha on Friday was adjourned four times as Treasury and Opposition benches faced-off in the House over certain remarks made by the Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur, specifically with regard to the Nehru-Gandhi family.
The disturbance began during the introduction of the Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Bill, 2020.
The Congress and the Trinamool Congress strongly protested certain remarks by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members, including by Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur and the BJP’s Locket Chatterjee.
After speaking for some time during the procedure for the introduction of the bill, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that her deputy Mr. Thakur would talk about the PM-CARES Fund.
Opposition members had raised concerns about the fund and, while speaking, Mr. Thakur attacked the Congress and the Gandhis. He also alleged that the Congress had misused the PM Relief Fund.
Attacking the Congress, Mr. Thakur said the PM National Relief Fund had not been registered till date, and also stressed that the alleged misuse of funds needed to be looked into.
When Congress members protested, Mr. Thakur said that “the names of the Nehru and Gandhi family should be taken” and alleged that the “Gandhi family had ruined the country”.
Regarding the PM-CARES Fund, the Minister said that people had gone to the courts against the fund but the courts had ruled in the fund’s favour.
The fund was set up in March and it was opposed in April itself, he said. “When Prime Minister Narendra Modi was preparing to fight the coronavirus pandemic, at that time too, the Opposition was doing politics,” Mr. Thakur charged. He said that poor and aged people as well as children had contributed to the fund.
In protest against the Minister’s remarks on the Gandhis, Congress members walked out of the House. When Speaker Om Birla asked the Minister to stop, Mr. Thakur said that he needed more time to bring out the real face of the Opposition.
Amid the din, BJP member from West Bengal Locket Chatterjee made some remarks that were opposed by Trinamool Congress members.
As the ruckus continued, Mr. Birla warned members that they should not stand up to speak, and that the protection of members was important.
“If anyone gets up to talk... I will take action... I will name them and remove them from the House,” Mr. Birla said, adding that this would be applicable to all members and Ministers.
Apparently referring to certain remarks by ruling party members, Trinamool Congress member Kalyan Banerjee said that “such things cannot continue”, and alleged that the Speaker was trying to protect BJP members. Mr. Banerjee even said that he was also ready to face suspension.
Amid the din, the Speaker first adjourned the proceedings for 30 minutes till 4.20 p.m., and later from 4.20 p.m. to 5 p.m., and from 5 p.m. to 5.30 p.m., and then till 6 p.m.
Every time the House reconvened, Ms. Sitharaman took up the discussion on supplementary demands.
Congress members led by Gaurav Gogoi demanded an apology from Mr. Thakur for his remarks against the Gandhis.
Some Congress members entered the Well of the House raising slogans and the Treasury benches did not react to the sloganeering.
Finally, Speaker Om Birla managed to establish order, by first asking members if they subscribed to Mr. Banerjee’s view that he [the Speaker] favoured the Treasury benches. At this Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary denied that it was so and termed Mr. Birla as the “guardian of the House” and “protector of the MPs”.
Mr. Thakur was asked to express regret at his remarks, which he did.
The House then went on to debate the supplementary demand for grants.