The Trinamool Congress Tuesday raised the issue of Prime Minister Narendra Modi offering prayers at the Pashupatinath temple in Nepal and claimed that he had not offered people greetings on the Eid. The government refuted this.
Sudip Bandopadhyay, Trinamool Congress MP from Kolkata North, raising the issue in the Lok Sabha Tuesday, said he appreciated the prime minister offering prayers at the temple in Nepal, "but it is equally expected that he should offer Eid greetings to the other community".
Amid shouts and protests from the ruling benches, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu responded, "The prime minister has offered Eid greetings, which have been widely published. The government believes in the unity of all religions."
However, the Congress party was not satisfied by the reply and party member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary sought to speak on the issue. When Speaker Sumitra Mahajan disallowed him, the opposition members trooped near the speaker's podium and the house was adjourned till 12.30 p.m.
When the house re-assembled at 12.30 p.m., similar scenes were witnessed and Chowdhary, who was this time allowed to speak, made certain comments which the speaker deemed as personal remarks and disallowed him again.
With members of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress again trooping near the speaker's podium, the house was once more adjourned till 2 p.m.
Modi, who had offered prayers at Pashupatinath temple Monday, later said he felt "extremely blessed" on offering prayers there. The prime minister prayed at the temple, offered Rs.25 crore to build a 'dharamshala' (inn) in the temple complex, and also donated 2,500 kg of sandalwood.