Oppn party leaders to meet in Parliament on Thursday to chalk out future strategy

With the government seeking strict action against opposition members for their unruly behaviour in the Rajya Sabha, leaders of opposition parties will meet in Parliament on Thursday to chalk out their future strategy.

Sources said an urgent meeting of floor leaders of opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha is scheduled on August 12 in the chamber of Leader of Opposition, Upper House in Parliament House at 10 am.

The leaders will discuss the incidents that occurred in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

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Some women members of the Upper House belonging to the Congress have alleged that they were manhandled by male marshalls while they were protesting in the Well of the house.

Congress's Chhaya Verma and Phulo Devi Netam alleged that male security personnel manhandled them and Netam fell in the melee.

NCP leader Sharad Pawar said that in his 55 years of being in Parliament, he had never seen women MPs being attacked in Rajya Sabha unlike on Wednesday.

He alleged that more than 40 men and women marshalls and security staff were deployed in the Upper House, including some who were brought from outside.

"It is painful. It is an attack on democracy," Pawar alleged.

Congress Chief Whip in Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh said the insurance amendment bill to privatise GIC was passed in RS with a large force of security personnel present.

"The government refused to send it to a select committee... a demand by all opposition parties including those close to the BJP. What happened this evening was worse than atrocious," he said on Twitter.

"Presiding officers in Parliament are supposed to be neutral umpires, not partisan players. They cannot present a totally one-sided picture of goings on in the House and further aggravate the situation. Misplaced emotion leads to commotion," he also said.