On first day of Budget Session, ruckus in Parliament over Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh crisis

Angry over imposition of President’s Rule in Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh, Congress today created ruckus in Parliament, accusing the Modi dispensation of toppling democratically-elected governments of opposition parties, a charge rejected by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

The issue generated heat in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on the opening day of the session with Congress members in both Houses storming the Well and party chief Sonia Gandhi joining them in raising slogans.

In the Lok Sabha, Leader of Congress Mallikarjun Kharge and his party colleagues staged a dharna in the Well as their notice for adjournment motion on the issue was rejected by the Chair.

“It is a murder of democracy,” Kharge said as the Lower House assembled for the day, telling Speaker Sumitra Mahajan that he has given a notice for an adjournment motion on the issue. Members of JD(U) and AAP were also in the Well along with Congress.

AAP leader Bhagwant Mann was repeatedly seen pleading with the Chair to allow Kharge to have his say.Amid a noisy protest by the treasury benches, Kharge said the Union government is purchasing MLAs, pressurising MLAs to install BJP government “by killing Costitution.”

The Speaker reminded Kharge that the matter is before the Supreme Court and hence he should not say anything further. Kharge said he is referring to the action of the central government and not the ruling of Uttarakhand High Court which had revoked the President’s Rule. The Supreme Court later stayed the High Court’s order till April 27.

He said the BJP-government at the Centre celebrates the Constitution Day and birthday of key architect of the document B R Ambedkar, while it has “destabilised” democratically-elected governments in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

“There appears to be a great hurry by the NDA to grab power in every state... don’t forget there is Constitution...  you could have waited for the March 28 floor test but you imposed President’s Rule on March 27,” he said.

He said the House had recently discussed the Ishrat Jahan alleged fake encounter case which is also sub-judice. BJD’s B Mahtab said his party has also given notice on the issue. “The matter is in the court. We will wait for the verdict. We are confident that the court will deliver justice.  But we are against arbitrary use of Article 356,” he said.

The Home Minister said the “crisis” in Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh has not been created by NDA or BJP. “It is an internal crisis of their party,” he said and welcomed Speaker’s decision that the issue cannot be raised in the present format as it is under consideration of the apex court.

In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad raised the issue accusing the central government of “deliberately provoking” the opposition and “inducing” disruption so that the House does not run.