Table in Rajya Sabha not meant for dancing, protesting: Union Minister Anurag Thakur

rajya sabha protest, anurag thakur — Image Source : PTI (FILE)
Table in Rajya Sabha not meant for dancing, protesting: Union Minister Anurag Thakur

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday said that the Opposition should apologise to the nation for what happened in Parliament during Monsoon Session. Addressing the media in Delhi, Thakur said that anarchy from streets to Parliament was the Opposition's only agenda during Monsoon Session.

"Secretary General's table in Rajya Sabha is not meant for dancing and protesting," Thakur told reporters during a press conference which was also attended by seven other Union Ministers who vehemently countered Opposition's charge that the government 'deliberately derailed' the Monsoon session.

The government and Opposition parties have been trading charges against each other for not allowing the Parliament to transact business during the just concluded Monsoon Session. The Opposition even claimed that MPs were manhandled by the marshals, a charge categorically denied by the government.

Earlier today, the Opposition parties held a protest march from the Parliament to Vijay Chowk. The march was led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who told reporters that "voice of 70 per cent of people was crushed, humiliated" and that "this is nothing short of murder of democracy".

Responding to the Opposition's charge, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that it was pre-decided by Congress and its friendly allies not to allow Parliament to function.

Replying to Rahul Gandhi's "murder of democracy" remark, Joshi said, "Nation can see what they did in Parliament. If they have a sense of responsibility, they should apologise to the country. We also demand from Chairman that there should be strict action and this shouldn't be repeated."

"The day before yesterday, some MPs climbed on top of the tables (in Parliament). They were feeling proud of themselves. They thought they've done something great. They tweeted after shooting its video. Video shooting is not allowed," the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said.

Piyush Goyal, Union Minister and Leader of Rajya Sabha, said that the Opposition's behaviour in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday was a new low of parliamentary democracy. Goyal added that the Opposition was unable to digest fact that the country has given up on them. "Opposition's approach of 'my way or the highway' is highly condemnable and the country also condemns such attitude."

Earlier in the day, a group of union ministers, including Pralhad Joshi Piyush Goyal and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, called on Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu at his official residence. Separately, a group of opposition leaders also met Naidu and complained against the alleged heckling of MPs including some women. The ministers, on the other hand, are believed to have complained against the alleged unruly behaviour of some opposition members in the House on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu broke down over the huge ruckus in the House and equated the act of some opposition MPs to "sacrilege in the temple of democracy". The tumultuous Monsoon session of Parliament was on Wednesday curtailed by two days.