Kharge writes to RS deputy chairman condemning presence of security personnel in well of House

New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday raised strong objections to the presence of security personnel in the well of the House, alleging opposition MPs were being prevented from raising issues.

In a letter to the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh, Kharge said he was shocked and astonished to see CISF personnel made to run in the House when members are exercising their democratic rights.

Writing on behalf of the Opposition parties, the Leader of Opposition said, "We are astonished and shocked at the manner in which CISF personnel are made to run into the well of the House when the members are exercising their democratic rights of protest."

"We saw this yesterday and we saw this today as well. Has our Parliament being reduced to such a level? This is most objectionable and we condemn it unequivocally," he said.

"We expect that in future CISF personnel will not come trooping in the well of the House when members are raising important issues of public concern," Kharge said in his letter to Harivansh.

Congress general secretary, communications and chief whip of the party in the upper house, Jairam Ramesh shared Kharge's letter on social media, saying the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha has just written to the Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha on this "shocking" development.

"After the sudden and unprecedented resignation of the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, we are now seeing the takeover of the chamber of the Council of States by the personnel of the CISF," Ramesh said in a post, When the House re-assembled at 12 noon, some MPs of TMC and DMK tried to enter the well but were blocked by security personnel at the entry point. However, some MPs sneaked into the well and raised slogans. They also protested against their blockade by security staff in the house.

Some of the members who protested in the well were Nadimul Haque, Sagarika Ghosh, Derek O'Brien (all of TMC), Tiruchi Siva (DMK), and Sanjay Singh (AAP).