Kharge claims Delhi cops attacked opposition MPs on last day of Monsoon Session

He demanded that only that secretariat security personnel be deployed and claimed the government released unauthorised footage to legitimise MPs' suspension

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has alleged that personnel of the Delhi Police "attacked and harassed" opposition MPs on August 11, the last day of Monsoon Session, and demanded that only Rajya Sabha Secretariat Security personnel be deployed within chambers and lobbies.

Kharge also took exception to "government sources" illegally releasing CCTV footage without any authorisation with the "sole intention to defame" opposition MPs.

He said he was making the demands keeping in view the "larger interest of democratic functioning of our Parliament".

In a letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday, Kharge referred to the incidents of August 11 and said the opposition MPs were "attacked and harassed by some security personnel in Rajya Sabha lobbies, who did not belong to Rajya Sabha Secretariat Security Service but were from Delhi Police".

He said "these people were unknown" to the MPs and that became the "primary cause of suspicion, which led to unruly scenes" in which Congress MP Phulo Devi Netam sustained injuries.

"Subsequently, a 2.5 minute long CCTV footage was released to the public in an illegal manner by government sources without any authorisation. This was no official Rajya Sabha TV live footage and was wilfully released with the sole intention to defame opposition MPs," he wrote.

Against this backdrop, he said, only Rajya Sabha Secretariat Security personnel should be allowed to maintain security related issues within the chambers and lobbies.

He also said the "illegal" release of CCTV footage without proper authorisation should not be allowed and necessary steps should be taken to ensure this.

Twelve Opposition MPs were suspended for the entire ongoing Winter Session on charges of unruly behaviour on the last day of the Monsoon Session. The Opposition has alleged that security personnel had misbehaved with them, including women lawmakers, while the government had alleged that the Opposition MPs attacked the marshals.

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