The Centre on Tuesday said it was ready to discuss last week’s communal violence in parts of Delhi a day after the festival of Holi on March 10. The second phase of the Parliament’s Budget Session saw uproar from several politicians in the Opposition as they attempted to start a debate on the large-scale violence in North East Delhi that has claimed 47 lives.
“You all have agreed to accept the chair’s decision,” Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said. “The government is also ready for a discussion [on Delhi violence]. This would be held after Holi, on the 11th.”
Ruckus and repeated adjournments prevailed in both Houses of the Parliament, which began on Monday. The two Houses were adjourned twice within minutes after reconvening, and then suspended for the day in the afternoon.
The Speaker’s announcement to push the debate after Holi irked several Opposition leaders who rushed to the Well of the Lower House to protest, and tore papers. Birla cautioned members of the Opposition and treasury benches that they will be suspended for the whole session if they approached the other side, reported NDTV.
Over Monday’s ruckus, Birla held an all-party meeting and urged floor leaders of all the political parties to resolve the disputes that led to a scuffle between Congress and BJP legislators in the Lower House. He warned the members of the House that a repeat of Monday’s altercation could lead to serious consequences.
Aam Aadmi Party MPs held a protest inside the Parliament premises for the consecutive day over the communal violence in Delhi. The leaders demanded the formation of a joint parliamentary committee and narco test on political leaders who allegedly delivered hate speech, reported The Indian Express. AAP MPs Sanjay Singh, Bhagwant Mann, ND Gupta, and Sushil Gupta protested before the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the complex.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai informed the Lok Sabha about police’s measures to maintain law and order in Delhi. “Adequate police personnel have been deployed in violence-affected areas,” he has said in a written reply, reported ANI. “120 FIRs have been registered. Section 144 [barring the gathering of over four people] has been imposed in the violence-affected areas of Delhi. Police have conducted flag march in these areas. Social media platforms are being monitored to avoid spread of rumours.”
In Rajya Sabha, BJP MP and Union Minister Anurag Thakur was jeered at as he rose to read a statement laying listed papers on the table. Union minister Piyush Goyal attempted to defend Thakur but it resulted in more chaos. Following this, the House was adjourned by Chairperson Venkaiah Naidu.
On Sunday, Thakur had accused the media of lying by claiming that he exhorted a crowd at a rally to shout “shoot the bloody traitors” slogan, and said they should be better informed. At least 47 people were killed and over 200 injured in the large-scale communal violence that erupted following clashes between supporters and opponents of the Citizenship Amendment Act in North East Delhi. In some cases, the police have been accused of either inaction or complicity in the violence against the attacks, mostly on Muslim neighbourhoods.
Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Bharatiya Janata Party’s parliamentarians to take the lead on propagating peace, harmony and unity in society. Modi made the appeal at the saffron party’s parliamentary meeting held earlier in the day.
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