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Updated August 13th, 2021 at 22:27 IST

Chidambaram questions Chair's neutrality in Parl' ruckus despite book throwing incident

Chidambaram also accused that the last-day pandemonium in Rajya Sabha started because the government tried to pass legislation by "stealth"

Reported by: Ujjwal Samrat
Chidambaram
Image Credits: PTI | Image:self
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As both the houses of the Parliament continue to be disrupted by the unruly behavior of the Opposition, Congress leader and former Union Minister P Chidambaram has blamed the Chair for not being neutral. In an interview with PTI, Chidambaram accused that the last-day pandemonium in Rajya Sabha started because the government tried to pass legislation by "stealth" while going back on its words.

P Chidambaram on ruckus in Parliament

The Congress leader Chidambaram questioned the absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah from debates during the session and alleged that the 'two-man army' BJP government has 'scant respect' for Parliament and if the 'two gentlemen have their way, they will lock down Parliament'. Chidambaram also said that he is absolutely certain the difficulties in forging Opposition unity to take on the BJP in 2024 general elections shall be overcome and it will be a reality well before the polls. 

The Monsoon session of Parliament was curtailed by two days on Wednesday. Just before the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die, Opposition MPs jostled with marshals in the well of the House when they were trying to move towards the Chair and the treasury benches.

When asked about the ruckus in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday and the government fielding eight ministers to accuse the Opposition of disrupting the Monsoon session, Chidambaram said the pandemonium was created by the government going back on its word that after the Constitution Amendment Bill on the OBC reservation was passed by the House.

Chidambaram on Om Birla and M Venkaiah Naidu's remarks

Rajya Sabha member and part of the Congress' strategy group in the House, the former Finance Minister said that since there was no agreement on that issue between the government and the Opposition, it was agreed that the Bill will not be taken up in this session of Parliament.  

"But after the Constitution amendment Bill was passed unanimously, the government tried to rush through the general insurance Amendment Bill and one or two other bills.  This is a continuation of the BJP's practice of passing legislation by stealth," he said.

"The Chair, I am afraid, and I am sorry to say this, did not play a neutral role and therefore there was pandemonium in Parliament, but the starting point of the pandemonium was the government's attempt to pass legislation by stealth," Chidambaram alleged.

Asked about Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu expressing disappointment with the behaviour of Opposition members during the session and the Opposition raising questions about the neutrality of the Chair, the senior Congress leader said, "We are increasingly driven to the conclusion, and  I say this with a heavy heart and great regret, that the Chair is not as neutral as it should be and the Chair does not reflect the sense of the House."

P Chidambaram questions PM Modi and Amit Shah's absence from parliament

On the government rejecting Opposition's criticism of passage of bills amid the din, stating that it also happened in the UPA era, Chidambaram said this "whataboutery" must come to an end. He said that n the UPA era, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister attended both Houses,  they answered questions in Parliament, they took part in debates and offered clarifications on statements.

Chidambaram said that in this whole session, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister were "absent", did not answer a single question and did not participate in any debate. "This shows that the two-man army, which is the BJP government, has scant respect for Parliament. If these two gentlemen have their way, they will lock down Parliament," he alleged.

P Chidambaram on Pegasus snooping row

The former Union Minister was also asked about Parliament not discussing the Pegasus snooping row. He said the Supreme Court is the only hope.

"The government has a huge guilty conscience which is why the moment the word Pegasus is uttered, the government runs for cover and the government resorts to all kinds of strategies to shut out a debate on Pegasus, but Pegasus cannot be suppressed forever," he said.  

One by one skeletons will tumble out of the cupboard, as they are, in France, Israel, Germany and other countries. Newspapers around the world will report on the new revelations, the senior Congress leader said. "I hope the Supreme Court will take up the issue of Pegasus and order an inquiry," he added.

P Chidambaram on unified Opposition for 2024 Lok Sabha polls

Asked if with the Opposition unity on display during the Monsoon session -- be it Rahul Gandhi's breakfast meeting, Kapil Sibal's dinner or floor coordination -- seeds of an alliance to take on the BJP in 2024 have been sown, Chidambaram said it was the "beginning of the beginning".  

"We are still in the early days but my conversations with Opposition leaders clearly point to the fact that every Opposition leader is convinced that the Opposition must present a United front," he said.

"There are difficulties in achieving that goal but in my view, the difficulties are not insurmountable. With patience with further conversations,  with further meetings,  I am absolutely certain the difficulties shall be overcome and Opposition unity will be a reality well before 2024 elections," Chidambaram asserted.

Parliament ruckus tapes shock nation

The Monsoon Session of the Parliament, filled with dramatic events and unfortunate scenes in the name of protests against the Pegasus scandal and farmers' stir came to an end on Wednesday, August 11. While there were protests in both Houses of the Parliament, it was the Rajya Sabha that witnessed the worst kind of chaos with Opposition leaders entering the well of the House, shouting slogans, jumping atop tables, tearing rule-books, and flinging pieces of papers in the Chair's face.

Videos of the ruckus in the Upper House were accessed by Republic TV on Thursday, August 12. Dressed in white, a woman marshal was seen trying to keep the woman Parliamentarians at bay while some of the Members of the Parliament tried to push and attack her. In total, 30 Marshals were deployed to control the lingering ruckus, of which 12 were women while 18 were men. Moreover, according to the RS report, male marshals were choked and strangled by CPI(M) MP Kareem. The Government on Thursday formed a committee to probe the mishandling of the woman marshal in the Parliament.

(With Inputs: PTI)

(Image Credits: PTI)

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Published August 13th, 2021 at 21:49 IST

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