Table in Rajya Sabha not meant for dancing, protesting: Union Minister Anurag Thakur
Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday said that the Opposition should apologise to the nation for what happened in Parliament during Monsoon Session. Addressing the media in Delhi, Thakur said that anarchy from streets to Parliament was the Opposition's only agenda during Monsoon Session.
"Secretary General's table in Rajya Sabha is not meant for dancing and protesting," Thakur told reporters during a press conference which was also attended by seven other Union Ministers who vehemently countered Opposition's charge that the government 'deliberately derailed' the Monsoon session.
The government and Opposition parties have been trading charges against each other for not allowing the Parliament to transact business during the just concluded Monsoon Session. The Opposition even claimed that MPs were manhandled by the marshals, a charge categorically denied by the government.
Earlier today, the Opposition parties held a protest march from the Parliament to Vijay Chowk. The march was led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who told reporters that "voice of 70 per cent of people was crushed, humiliated" and that "this is nothing short of murder of democracy".
Responding to the Opposition's charge, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that it was pre-decided by Congress and its friendly allies not to allow Parliament to function.
"We demand Rajya Sabha Chairman should take stringent action against those opposition MPs who broke rules," Joshi said.
Piyush Goyal, Union Minister and Leader of Rajya Sabha, said that the Opposition's behaviour in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday was a new low of parliamentary democracy.
