Uproar over alleged Rijiju scam stalls Rajya Sabha

Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice on Wednesday following protests over the controversy involving Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju.

Opposition members shouted slogans and indulged in heated exchanges with BJP members over the alleged misuse of office by Rijiju with regard to a power project in Arunachal Pradesh, besides also raising anti-government slogans on the demonetisation issue.

During the Question Hour at noon, some members were heard raising slogans over allegations against the Minister. Chairman Hamid Ansari pressed for taking up the Question Hour and was heard saying that there cannot be “Jekyll and Hyde character.” However as the protests continued, Ansari adjourned the House till 1400 hours.

When the House reassembled, rare unanimity was witnessed as the members passed the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014. The House had discussed the Bill for a short while soon after it had met at 1100 hours, with some of them even suggesting that it should be adopted without debate.

After the Bill was passed, Anand Sharma (Cong) raised the issue of allegations against Rijiju, which led protests from the members from the Treasury benches.

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien told Sharma: “There is rule, there is a procedure. Go by that. You cannot suo motu raise an allegation.” Members of the Congress and the BJP indulged in shouting slogans and counter-slogans in the House.

Leader of the House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the allegations are “totally false and fabricated. ... I dare you for a debate on this.”

“Your party is misleading you,” he particularly told Congress members. Kurien told Sharma that to raise an allegation, a member has to give prior intimation to the Chairman.

Sharma said he was merely referring to the media reports, which was not accepted by the Deputy Chairman. Amidst constant din, Kurien adjourned the House for the day.