Centre murdering democracy, says Cong

The battle over Uttarakhand on Monday moved to Parliament with the Congress staging a sit-in protest in the Lok Sabha and stalling proceedings in the Rajya Sabha over the Modi government’s “unconstitutional” decision to impose the President’s Rule in the hill state.

Congress leaders rushed to the well of the Lok Sabha after Speaker rejected the notice stop all work in the House and take up the discussion on the action of the Centre to topple democratically elected state government.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh rejected the charges levelled by the Congress. He told the Lok Sabha that the developments in Uttarakhand were creation of the internal problems of the Congress.

“These problems are neither created by the BJP nor by the NDA government,” Rajnath Singh said. Earlier, Congress leaders stormed the well of the Lok Sabha raising slogans against the Modi government. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge was seen seated on a stair leading to the Speaker’s seat in the House, while members of the Congress, JD (U) and the IUML were seen squatting on the floor in the well of House and raising slogans.

“It is a murder of democracy. If the Union government tries to destabilise state governments, there would be no democracy left, there will be no Constitution, we also need not come to the House,” Kharge said. In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad accused the Modi government of creating a situation ahead of Parliament session to ensure derailment of the proceedings.

CPM leader Sitaram Yechury rejected the government contention that the Uttarakhand issue was sub judice and hence cannot be discussed in Parliament. Addressing a press conference, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the party would stall proceedings in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday over the Uttarakhand issue.