Deputy Leader of Congress in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma was caught on the wrong foot today when he objected to the absence of Cabinet Ministers in the House even when Thawar Chand Gehlot was seated in the front row.
As soon as the discussion on the Budget resumed, Sharma got up to raise a point of order during Zero Hour saying there is no Cabinet Minister in the House.
A visibly surprised Gehlot rose to say that he was very much there and asked Sharma in a lighter vein as to why the latter was doing "injustice" to him even when he is there for a long time.
A smiling Deputy Chairman P J Kurien also asked Sharma why was he "demoting" Gehlot who is already a Cabinet Minister.
Gehlot is the Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment.
An apparently embarrassed Sharma said Thawar Chand is not well-known.
A little while later, some members raised objection to the absence of a Finance Minister in the House when the budget was being discussed.
Kurien said while it is desirable that there should a Finance Minister during the debate on budget, members can proceed since a Cabinet minister is already present.
Soon the Minister of State for Finance Nirmala Sitharaman came back to the House after an assurance in this regard by Union Minister Prakash Javadekar.
On her return, she said she had gone out of the House for only "a few seconds".
