Opposition walks out of Rajya Sabha after BJP MP withdraws question

New Delhi: Opposition parties led by the Congress on Wednesday staged a walkout in the Rajya Sabha after a BJP MP withdrew, without explanation, a question he had posed to Home Minister Amit Shah on enhancing forensic capabilities in the country.

BJP MP Adiya Prasad had put a question to the Home Minister, which was admitted as a Starred Question, which requires ministers to give an answer orally and allows immediate follow-up (supplementary) questions.

According to the Question List available on the Rajya Sabha website, Prasad's question was No.2 in the sequence for the Question Hour on Wednesday. However, a correction note said the question may be treated as "withdrawn".

When Chairman C P Radhakrishnan skipped the question and moved to the next, Congress leader S Jairam Ramesh and others sought to know why the question was withdrawn.

"You know the rules. Rule 53 permits a member to withdraw any question as he likes," the chairman said. "You can also withdraw if you want. I cannot interfere in the rights of the members."

As opposition MPs pressed, Radhakrishnan told them that they have "no right to raise it." Radhakrishnan also refused their pleas to ask the concerned member to put the question. "Why do I have to tell? I have no right to tell. It is his will. You also can withdraw tomorrow some questions, and I will not interfere in that," he said, ordering that nothing that Opposition MPs say on the issue would go on record.

He asked them not to disturb the question hour and went ahead with the listed questions.

Unhappy with the response, the Opposition MPs staged a walkout in the House.

Prasad had wanted to know from the Minister of Home Affairs "whether the government is expanding Central Forensic Science Laboratories (CFSLs) to collect evidence as mandated under the new criminal laws, if so, the details thereof."

He also wanted to know of "the measures taken to enhance forensic capabilities under the Nirbhaya Fund in light of the new criminal laws; and the steps being taken to systematically store and manage forensic data electronically as mandated under the new criminal laws."