Rajya Sabha today saw a clash between government and opposition after BSP and Congress opposed the presence of Minister V K Singh and demanded his dismissal from the government over his controversial "dog" analogy after killing of two Dalit children in Haryana.
Members of BSP and Congress created uproar and trooped into the Well to demand exit of Singh, which was countered by the treasury benches. Deputy Chairman P J Kurien also asserted that the minister has every right to be in the House.
Trouble started when Singh arrived in the House and took his seat. Senior BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra rose, saying Singh cannot be allowed to sit in the House "even for a minute" and should be "thrown out" as he has "violated" the Constitution.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, who rushed to the House to defuse the situation, asserted that Singh will not leave the House.
Naidu dismissed the attack on Singh as a "canard" and accused the BSP of doing politics in the name of caste.
An unfazed Singh, a former Army Chief who was earlier seated in back row, moved to second row.
As tempers ran high, the Deputy Chairman said it was not for the Chair but for the court to decide who violated the Constitution and who did not .
"As a minister, he has the right to be here. We cannot ask a minister to go back. We are not here to judge whether someone has violated the Constitution," he said.
However, the BSP was not amused and created uproar, forcing Kurien to adjourn the House twice. They, however, allowed Home Minister Rajnath Singh to make a statement on the flood situation in Chennai, before resuming their protest.
The BSP leader said Singh, the Minister of State for
External Affairs, is "not enitlted" to sit in the House as he has "insulted" the House.
"You do not know even this much how to address a human being, how to address a Dalit. He is not entitled to sit in the House. He has no right to sit in the House as he has violated the same Constitution, whose oath he took. He should be thrown out. He has yet not apologized," Mishra said.
He also took objection to Singh "smiling" and appearing "happy" in the House even as the issue was being raised.
"You have used such a language against Dalit. You have used such a lanugage, compared a human being, a dalit to some animal. And yet you are smiling, you are happy. You should be ashamed," the BSP leader said and asked Singh to "take pension" and "sit outside".
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi took objection to this, saying the BSP members are "insulting" an honourable member and it is a "matter of privilege".
"You have insulted an elected member, who is a minister. Will the House run like this?," he said citing a point of order quoting Rule 88 and asserting that a minister has the right to attend both Houses. Some other BJP members also reacted angrily, which was not heard in the din.
Soon the BSP members along with some Congress members including Pramod Tiwari and P L Punia trooped into the Well.
As the row continued, Naidu said, "it's a canard being spread against the minister."
Noting that even as the Chair has given a ruling that the minister has a right to sit in the House, Naidu said "politics" is being played on the matter and asserted that Singh will continue in the House as the NDA has got the mandate of the people.
Another senior BJP member Kalraj Mishra also criticised BSP for remarks dubbing them anti-Constitution".
As the BSP leader stuck to his demand, Kurien said, "Mishra ji it is not possible".
Mishra, however, retorted that Naqvi might be aruging that the minister has taken oath of the Constitution but he "cannot be allowed to murder the Constitution" as it is the "holy Bible". "He has no license to kill it," he said.
As the clash continued, another Opposition member recalled that Singh had called journalists "presstitutes".
Naidu intervened saying that without giving notice, the members cannot make allegations against any member.
Kurien repeatedly asked the BSP members to "cooperate" in running of the House citing the presence of Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who had to give a reply on the Chennai rains.
Mishra said while his party members will allow the Home Minister to make a reply but after that V K Singh will not be allowed to remain the House. Naidu, however, said that Singh has the right to be in the House and "he will be here.
