Opposition stepped up pressure on the government for the sacking of Union Minister Ajay Mishra inside and outside Parliament with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence with the MPs disrupting the proceedings of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, even as the government on Thursday remained non-committal on his resignation.
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi led the Opposition charge in Lok Sabha while in Rajya Sabha even before Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge could raise the issue, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the morning session of the House.
Both the Houses did not transact any meaningful business during the day as Opposition MPs shouted slogans insisting on the sacking of Mishra, whose son was arrested in connection with the killing of four protesting farmers and journalists in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri, leading to the adjournment of the proceedings for the day.
In Lok Sabha, Speaker Om Birla called Rahul to pose his question on the MSME sector and the Congress leader used the opportunity to call for the resignation of Mishra. "This minister should be removed from the government...Action should be taken against him...We should be allowed to speak about it," Rahul said in Lok Sabha.
As the din continued, Birla first adjourned the House till 2 pm. When re-assembled, similar scenes repeated in Lok Sabha with the Chair adjourning the House for the day.
In Rajya Sabha, Opposition members attempted to raise the issue but Naidu adjourned the House till 2 pm. Deputy Chairman Harivansh also adjourned the House soon after the House re-assembled at 2 pm as he could not take forward the debate on the situation arising out of the new Covid-19 variant Omicron.
"The Supreme Court-monitored investigation is going on in the case. Parliament is a place for discussions. We want to take constructive suggestions from the Opposition. We call them for discussions but they refuse," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi told reporters.
While Youth Congress activists staged a protest near Parliament, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not sacking Mishra and said carefully curated spectacles of piety and wearing religious attire will not change the "fact that you are protecting a criminal".
"The government's refusal to sack Ajay Mishra Teni is the starkest indication of its moral bankruptcy. @narendramodi-ji, carefully curated spectacles of piety and wearing religious attire will not change the fact that you are protecting a criminal... Ajay Mishra Teni should be sacked and charged in accordance with the law," she tweeted.
Kharge told reporters, "If the Prime Minister is not taking action against Mishra even after the SIT report, then we are forced to say that the PM is protecting the Minister."
Referring to Naidu adjourning the House "without even allowing" them to mention the issue, he said, "Even before we could mention our notice on Lakhimpur Kheri, the Chairman adjourned the House till 2 pm. The moment we got up to raise the issue, the House was adjourned. What does it mean? The Chairman is supposed to protect our rights."
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