The first working day of the budget session in Rajya Sabha started on a stormy note as the House faced repeated adjournments over the suicide of Dalit student Rohith Vemula, with slogan-shouting BSP members led by Mayawati trooping into the Well several times seeking resignation of some Union Ministers.
An exasperated Chairman Hamid Ansari remarked that disruption of Question Hour was "violation of privilege of individual members" and asked the agitating members "not to trample" over the privilege of their colleagues.
Amid sloganeering by BSP, HRD Minister Smriti Irani said the opposition was using a "dead child" (Rohith) as "a political tool and strategy" and asked the opposition to start discussion on the issue "right now".
BSP members forced five adjournments in the pre-lunch session raising slogans that the "anti-Dalit, anti-Ambedkar" government will not be allowed to run, even as party chief Mayawati dubbed the incident an "insult to 25 crore Dalits" in the country.
She also wanted the government's response over her demand for the resignation of two union ministers allegedly linked to the suicide.
A visibly upset Ansari, who went the extra mile to hold an all-party meeting days before start of the session to ensure smooth functioning, said, "Disruption of House is the violation of the privilege of individual members of the House. Do not trample the privilege your colleagues." Members from treasury benches welcomed Ansari's remarks.
The Chairman asked Mayawati to follow procedures, arguing that her party members can raise the issue any other time during the day. He also held an informal meeting with leaders of parties in his chamber after the House was adjourned for the third time.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said if Question Hour was not being allowed, the legislative business should be taken up as otherwise it will not send a right message. He said a response can be given only if a thorough debate is allowed in which everybody gets a chance to participate.
As eight of the BSP members continued shouting slogans from the Well of the House, an apparently irked Ansari said, "you had enough. Please sit down. Take care of your health." However, his pleas remained unheeded.
Raising the issue, Mayawati (BSP) said the suicide by the
Vemula, a Dalit student of the Hyderabad University, was a matter of grave concern.
A number of Union Ministers like Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Piyush Goyal, Smriti Irani, Nirmala Sitharaman, Prakash Javadekar, Thawar Chand Gehlot and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi among others were present in the House. Rajnath Singh later left the House amid the din.
The row in the Upper House began virtually from the start. Even though a discussion on the issue was listed for today, Mayawati (BSP) wanted a response from the government to her demand for resignation of the union ministers allegedly linked to the suicide, sacking of the Vice Chancellor of University of Hyderabad and inclusion of a Dalit member in the judicial committee probing the suicide.
"Since the time, BJP came to power at the Centre, nefarious means are being used to impose RSS ideology," she said adding that prestigious institutions like Hyderabad University, Aligarh Muslim University, Jamia Milia and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) were being interfered with.
Suicide by Rohith is not the first case and many Dalit students have committed suicide in the past including when Congress-led UPA was in power at the Centre, she claimed.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said if the House agreed, a debate on the issue could be taken up immediately. Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha P J Kurien too agreed that a discussion can be taken up immediately if the House agrees.
But Mayawati insisted on a response to her demands first, even as Naqvi said "We are not running away from debate." Kurien said the subject raised by Mayawati was already in the list of business and could be taken up now and the government will reply to it.
But BSP members remained unrelenting, forcing Kurien to adjourn the House first for 10 minutes.
After the brief adjournment when the House reassembled, Mayawati again wanted to know from the government if there would be a Dalit member in the inquiry committee.
To this, Deputy Chairman Kurien said "don't take the House to ransom". As BSP members trooped in to the Well, Naqvi said a discussion would take place on the issue and the government cannot reply to questions in bits and pieces.
"After the debate the Minister will intervene and reply. (It is) not possible to answer each member," he said.
As BSP members kept shouting anti-government slogans, Naqvi said "(this is) is a frustrated agenda".
While CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said Mayawati has raised a simple question and the government should reply to it, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said his party too demands inclusion of a dalit member in the probe panel.
Amid continued sloganeering by BSP, HRD Minister Smriti
Irani said the discussion on the issue should begin "right now".
As the Minister was speaking, Mayawati too joined her party colleagues in the Well. Kurien then adjourned the House till noon.
Similar scenes were witnessed when the House again met in the noon and Ansari tried to take up Question Hour.
However as BSP members remained unrelenting even after his angry remarks, he adjourned the House for ten minutes.
During the short break, Ansari met leaders including Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, JD-U's K C Tyagi, SP's Ramgopal Yadav and CPI's D Raja in an apparent bid to restore normalcy.
However, as the row continued as the House reassembled, Ansari adjourned the House twice more for 15 minutes and then till 2 PM.
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When the House reassembled at 2 PM, BSP members again trooped into the Well and continued slogan shouting, even as their party chief Mayawati insisted that the government should reply on whether a Dalit member would be included in the judicial panel probing Rohit Vemula's suicide case and sought a separate debate on both issues.
To this, Irani said "I am ready to reply to all questions. First you allow the discussion... You are senior to me. You are a woman. If you want, I am ready to reply. If you are not satisfied with my reply, I am ready to behead myself and lay it on your feet."
Urging the Chair to start the debate on the issue, Naqvi said "Call those members willing to participate... If Congress is not ready, we are ready to begin. Please start the debate".
But the BSP members continued shouting slogans "Dalit virodhi yeh sarkar nahi chalegi, nahi chalegi (anti-Dalit government will not be tolerated). We want resignation of HRD Minister."
As the commotion continued, Leader of the House Arun Jaitley said the members should have "patience" to discuss the matter. "If you are not satisfied, we can take up that issue later. First at least listen to the government's version."
Naqvi requested the chair to allow BJP members to begin the debate if the Congress and Left parties were not ready.
Trying to put the House in order, Deputy Chairman J Kurien said, "Discussion is on your subject. Why don't you allow? ...It is a matter of 2 hours of discussion. The government will reply thereafter."
Kurien called CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury to begin the debate. But Yechury said, "How can I speak? Stop this (shouting scenes) sir."
As commotion continued, a visibly upset Kurien said, "I think action should be taken. I don't see any justification. I will have to expel them."
"This is irrational to the core. This kind of shouting is not acceptable," Kurien said and later adjourned the House for 15 minutes.
When the House reassembled at 2.30 pm, Kurien said the
issue raised by BSP was valid but the government has assured reply after the discussion. Hence there was no rationale in demanding a reply before the debate, he said.
Mayawati said the two issues are important and should be discussed separately. "The government wants to neglect Rohit Vemula's issue. The JNU issue comes later. We want response from the government."
Later, BSP members trooped into the Well shouting, "Give justice to Rohit Vemula's family". "Down with HRD Minister".
As sloganeering continued, irked Naqvi asked the members to begin the debate as Home Affairs and HRD Ministers were present here to reply.
He even suggested members to take up the bill if they are not keen to start the short duration debate today. "Everyday, every time, this cannot go on. We need protection from the House," he asked the Chair, who later asked Yechury to initiate the debate.
Yechury said, "I am ready. I can speak. May be one more chance you can give them to pursuade BSP members."
Ram Gopal Yadav (SP) and Sharad Yadav (JDU) said the BSP members are not allowing the debate. "It should be take place tomorrow. They are ready for tomorrow, we have spoken to them," Yadav said.
Mayawati said her party will not allow discussion unless the government is ready for a separate debate on Rohit Vemula's suicide case and makes it clear if it has included a dalit member in the judicial committee probing Vemula's case.
"We have made one demand that the investigating commitee set up on Vemula's case has one downtrodden member in it. Instead of saying yes or not, they (government) have resorted to reply to the discussion. ....Why cannot reply to this one question?" she said and also insisting for a separate discussion on this issue.
To this, Kurien asked Mayawati to give a separate notice for having a separate discussion on this issue.
Amid din, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "On the issue raised by Mayawatiji, we are one with her. The way Rohit was forced to commit suicide, it is a national issue. We will not allow the issue get diluted. We will certainly have vivid discussion."
"If the government decides to discuss separately, then we are prepared to discuss the Hyderabad University issue today and JNU tomorrow," he suggested.
Naqvi said fresh notices need to be issued for this,
while Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said the two issues were not clubbed by the government.
Yechury said the situation in the House has arisen with the raising of one question: will the government include a dalit member in the committee?
To this, Kurien said, "It is for the government to take the decision. As far as I am concerned, I have to go by the agenda. The government is saying it will reply including this issue after the discussion."
Irked Irani said, "I am ready to answer to all questions. Either they decide which question to ask or be it from Yechuryji or Mayawatiji. ...Are we sending this kind of signal to the nation that a judge in his capacity will depend on the caste?"
Unrelenting Mayawati said, "Which signal are you talking? Tell me clearly whether the government is keeping a dalit member in the commitee or not. If PM was here, he would have agreed for the discussion. These people are fearful. I think PM has not given the signal. He also does not want a dalit to be part of it."
As angry-exchanges and slogan shouting continued, the chair adjourned the House for half an hour till 3.30 pm.
Similar scenes were witnessed when the House met again with Mayawati asking the government to state whether a Dalit member would be included in the probe panel and said the government seemed to be waiting for a "signal from Nagpur", indicating RSS headquarters.
The House was adjourned at 4 PM after an assurance from Kurien and Naqvi that Irani will respond specifically to Mayawati's question after the conclusion of the discussion tomorrow.
