Punish unruly Opposition MPs, ministers tell Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu

NEW DELHI:  In their pursuit for action against the Opposition MPs for ruckus and scuffle in the Rajya Sabha, seven Union Ministers called on House Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and demanded a thorough enquiry into the incidents during the passage of the insurance amendment bill. 

Naidu is learnt to have assured the ministers that he would look into the episode.  Leader of the Rajya Sabha and Union Minister Piyush Goyal led the delegation comprising Prahlad Joshi, Bhupender Yadav, Dharmendra Pradhan, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and V Muraleedharan. 

The same group of ministers had held a presser after the two Houses of the Parliament were adjourned sine die two days before the schedule of the Monsoon session in which they had described the August 11 incident in the Upper House as ‘unprecedented’. 

The ministers had levelled the charges that the Opposition MPs had attempted to strangulate a woman marshal. However, the Opposition MPs have alleged that the male marshals had manhandled women members of Parliament.

Naidu is also learnt to have held a separate meeting with BJD’s Sasmit Patra, who was presiding over the House at the time of the incident.  He had visited Parliament on Saturday and watched the entire video recording of August 11.

Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla have discussed the matter earlier and have hinted at strong action against the erring MPs. The ministers are learnt to have told Naidu that the marshals were in the House for the protection of the presiding officer since some of the Opposition MPs had earlier created ruckus around the reporters’ table and threw rule book in the direction of the Chair. They alleged that the Opposition MPs had obstructed the marshals from discharging their duties. 

‘Marshals were needed’ 
The ministers are learnt to have told Naidu that the marshals were in the Rajya Sabha for the protection of the presiding officer since some of the Opposition MPs had earlier created ruckus around the reporters’ table.