New Delhi: BJP today told Lok Sabha Speaker
Meira Kumar it would stage a walkout if Congress MP P C Chacko
Chairs any session as he did not "protect" one of its woman
MPs, who was at the receiving end of "bad language" from
another member, while he was presiding over the House.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj met Kumar
and complained to her that Congress MP Lal Singh had used
intemperate language, which bordered around unparliamentary
words, against BJP member from Bellary J Shanta.
The incident took place during the debate on illegal
mining in the Lower House on Tuesday, with Chacko Chairing the
session.
"Shanta came to me crying and sobbing and said Lal Singh
had insulted her several times in his speech during the
debate. Pointing towards her he said `yeh chor log itne
paise kaise bana rahe hai (how are these thieves making so
much money)....I have complained to the Speaker," Swaraj said.
Other words used by Lal Singh, as per Lok Sabha records,
are: `us samay inhone jo paisa khaya tha (The money that
they had taken)`, `sharm nahi aati, najayaz paisa ikkatta
karte ho (You don`t feel shame in collecting illegal money)`,
and "kya aap bhi usme hai, aapka maal bheech me hai (are you
also in this, is your money also in this)`.
None of these statements were expunged by the Lok Sabha.
Swaraj, accompanied by Shanta, apprised Kumar about the
incident and complained that Chacko did not intervene or come
to the BJP MP`s rescue.
"We have informed the Speaker that we will stage a
walkout whenever Chacko comes to Chair any session in the Lok
Sabha. She was very upset after hearing our complaint and has
promised to look into the matter," Swaraj said.
Kumar gave a patient hearing and empathised with Shanta.
She told Swaraj that she was seized of the matter and would
take it up with Chacko and Lal Singh, the BJP leader said.
Shanta is sister of M Sriramulu, a close associate of
the Reddy brothers of Bellary. The mining barons known for
their proximity towards Swaraj, refer to her as "mother".
In each session of Parliament, a panel of senior MPs is
formed in Lok Sabha for Chairing sessions when the Speaker and
Deputy Speaker are not present. The same practice is followed
in the Rajya Sabha.
P C Chacko is one of the empanelled members in Lok Sabha
in the monsoon session.
In the recent past, Congress had staged a walkout in the
Rajya Sabha under the leadership of Manmohan Singh- when the
NDA was in power- against then Chairperson Bhairon Singh
Shekhawat.
Similarly, Congress had boycotted the NDA Defence
Minister George Fernandes in Parliament for long during the
`coffingate` allegations post-Kargil war.
-PTI
