Congress on Friday demanded an apology from Union Minister Harsh Vardhan accusing him of "unparliamentary behaviour" and "trampling the rights" of Rahul Gandhi as a member of Lok Sabha.
The demand was made by party leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury during meeting of Congress leaders with Speaker Om Birla.
Party leader Rahul Gandhi was also present during the meeting held following a scuffle in the House with BJP members.
"I proposed that the concerned minister should seek an apology for his unparliamentary behaviour," Chowdhury said.
He said the rights and privileges of a member had been "trampled upon by the minister".Gandhi said his "rights and privileges should be restored" and the opportunity given to him for asking the question for which he was listed and entitled.
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He said that his rights and privilege should not be bulldozed and he may be given an opportunity to raise the question on Monday.
The ruckus in the House erupted after Gandhi asked a question pertaining to a government scheme on medical colleges. Harsh Vardhan said that before he gives an answer, he wants to condemn in no uncertain words "the outlandish language he has used against the Prime Minister of the country.
Soon after BJP and Congress members nearly came to the blows in the House after Congress member Manickam Tagore rushed towards treasury benches and tried to reach Harsh Vardhan, who was reading from a paper. BJP parliamentarian Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh stopped him and other members also rushed near Harsh Vardhan's seat and into the Well of the House.
The House witnessed three adjournments on the issue.
Chowdhury said they had also told the Speaker that their members will express regret if they have committed anything wrong.
"I said our member suddenly rushed to the well due to the emotional upsurge that had been triggered by the minister himself. If anything is found wrong, we are also ready to express our regret," he said.
He hoped that the Speaker will intervene "firmly and timely" to address the issue so that the members' privileges and their rights remain protected.
He said Gandhi, who is MP from Wayanad, had prepared for the question.
"When his turn came, Rahul Gandhi stood up and mentioned the serial number of his question as is customary during the Question Hour. The Minister concerned is supposed to first lay the paper on the floor of the House in regard to that question. This is the normal procedure," Chowdhury said.
"But instead he started accusing as well as abusing Rahul Gandhiji on some statement he had made outside the Parliament," Chowdhury said.
He said remarks made by Gandhi outside the parliament had no co-relation with the question.
"So we protested. The way the minister rolled out a paper before accusing Rahulji, it established that this was a deliberate, premeditated way of accusing Rahul Gandhiji," Chowdhury said.Answering a query, Chowdhury said the protest will continue on Monday.
Gandhi had said while addressing a rally at Old Delhi's Hauz Qazi that Modi will not be able to move out of his house in the next six months as "youth will make him understand that without employment, the country can never progress."
"Narendra Modi, who is giving speeches, he will not be able to move out of his house in the next six months. The youth of India will hit him with sticks," Gandhi had said.
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