New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday slammed Home Minister Amit Shah for not making a statement in Parliament over alleged police brutalities on students and said he did not come despite Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan noting he should speak in the House.
Addressing a press conference, Kharge said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah are either “ignoring” Parliament or they are afraid to come to the two Houses. He demanded that the duo should apologise to the students.
Earlier in the day, Radhakrishnan asked Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to “echo the sentiments” of the Opposition, which is demanding Shah’s presence in the House, to the Union minister.
The request from the Chairman came when the House was facing continuous disruptions during Question Hour soon after it met at 12 noon. The Chair repeatedly asked the protesting members not to shout during the proceedings and that they would be given a chance to put forth their views.
Tagging a video clip of Radhakrishnan’s remarks, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “Hope the Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs will follow the clear instructions of the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha given this afternoon at 12:16 hours.”
Kharge said the opposition has been demanding for the past 15 days that Shah “come to the House and tell the country as to who gave the order to lathi-charge the students? Who instructed the firing of pellet guns at the students? Why were tear gas shells fired at the students?”
“We are asking Amit Shah questions on this very issue — what’s the problem in him coming to the House and giving a statement on this? The country’s Parliament has been in session for the past 15 days, but the Prime Minister and Home Minister are not coming to the House,” he said.
This means one of two things — either Modi-Shah are “ignoring” Parliament or they are afraid to come to Parliament, Kharge said.
Modi should accept his mistake and that of his government and apologize to the students and their parents, he demanded.
Kharge said the deadlock in Parliament is because Modi and Shah have not come.
“Our MPs met requested the Rajya Sabha Chairman that we want the PM’s apology and the home minister’s statement,” he said.
“I am happy that today, the Chairman told the Parliamentary Affairs minister that it is the wish of the House, his own wish and that of everyone, that the home minister comes to the House and speaks…he instructed that it would be right if he comes and speaks. But despite the Chairman’s remarks, he (Shah) could not be called,” Kharge said.
Kharge claimed that whenever he stands up to speak in the Upper House, MPs from the ruling side also stand up and create a ruckus.
“If the House is being disrupted, the reason for that is the government itself,” he alleged.
“We want the House to function properly and Amit Shah to come to the House and respond,” Kharge added.
Instead of telling students that he has forgiven them, the prime minister should apologise to them for the use of violence and pellet guns against them, Kharge said.
On whether the House will function, he said, “Let him (Shah) come first and make his point. Let the Prime Minister also come and apologise for the action against students.”
Asked about bills being passed by the government in din, Kharge said, “When Arun Jaitley was the Leader of Opposition, he used to say disruption is part of Parliamentary process. Sushma Swaraj also used to say this in the other house. I want to say that they should come to the house and let there be a debate.”
