Uproar in Lok Sabha

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday witnessed uproar over vandalisation of a church in Haryana and gang-rape of an elderly nun in West Bengal, with the Congress MPs staging a walkout blaming the BJP-led government for spreading communalism in the country.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu dismissed the allegation and said that the new regime led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not practice communal politics.

He also said that the government did not endorse a recent controversial remark by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. The agitated MPs of the Congress and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) earlier appeared to be referring to Swamy’s remark that mosques were not holy places and could be demolished.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs vociferously defended the West Bengal government against criticism by members of the Congress, BJP and the Left parties over the rape of a 72-year-old nun in the state.

Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge demanded the government to make a statement explaining why attacks on churches did not stop and politicians of the ruling party continued to make statements hurting religious sentiments of some sections of the society even after the prime minister vowed to ensure freedom of faith.

Naidu responded stating that the present government had only one mantra, “development for all, appeasement for none”.

“Everybody knows who is running vote bank politics in the country and who are aligning with communal elements,” said Naidu, pointing out that law and order being a state subject, the Union government could do little in connection with incidents in Haryana and West Bengal.

The Congress MPs wanted to raise the issue immediately after the Lok Sabha assembled for the day. Some of them trooped into the Well of the House demanding Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to accept notices for adjournment motions and allow them to speak on the issue of growing communal tension in the country.
They, however, relented after the Speaker assured them that they would be allowed to raise the issues after the Question Hour.