|
New Delhi:
Parliamentarians cutting across party lines Tuesday lashed out at
social activist Anna Hazare and his team members for using
intemperate language against MPs. A censure was not taken up by
Speaker Meira Kumar, but she allowed a brief discussion on the
issue during zero hour.
Team Anna members said they stood by their criticism.
In the Lok Sabha, winding up the debate on the issue, Meira Kumar
without naming anybody said the dignity of parliament should be
upheld because people elect their representatives to the house
with faith in them.
"Parliament reflects the collective view of the country. Any
remark lowering the dignity of the house is unwarranted and
unacceptable," she said in a brief observation at the end of the
short debate.
However, she did not allow the censure motion given by National
Democratic Alliance (NDA) convenor and Janata Dal-United (JD-U)
head Sharad Yadav demanding that the Lok Sabha pass a resolution
censuring Team Anna members. A discussion on the issue was taken
up during zero hour.
The man in the eye of the storm is Team Anna key member Arvind
Kejriwal who had said that parliament was facing a credibility
crisis with 162 sitting MPs facing criminal charges. He also said
some MPs were thieves and rapists.
Kejriwal later said they were not sorry for what they had said.
"We don't apologise about what we have said about
parliamentarians. They (parliamentarians) have failed to answer
questions raised by common people," he said.
During the debate, Sharad Yadav said individual criticism was
welcome "but that doesn't mean the house should be degraded".
"I accept that some people, who should not have come, have been
elected to the house... But don't forget that this institution
also fights its war against corruption," he said, adding
parliament was the only institution that has sent its members to
jail on graft charges.
He was referring to Suresh Kalmadi of the Congress and A. Raja of
the DMK.
Sharad Yadav asked the speaker "to protect the sanctity of this
house" and "don't let people criticise this institution".
"Don't let people undermine this house," he said as other members
thumped their desks in agreement.
Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party demanded that Kejriwal
should be called to the house and asked to explain his behaviour.
"He should be called in the house, stand here and explain his
conduct," the SP chief said.
Those who spoke on the issue include Dara Singh Chauhan of the
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), M. Thambidurai of the AIADMK, Farooq
Abdullah and Sharif-ud-din Shariq of the National Conference,
Jagdambika Pal of the Congress, and Raghuvansh Prasad Singh of the
Rashtriya Janata Dal.
Many MPs asked the speaker to move a resolution condemning the
unsavoury remarks by members of Hazare's team during their renewed
anti-corruption agitation at Jantar Mantar Sunday.
The censure motion, if adopted and voted by a majority in the
house, would have meant a severe criticism of Team Anna members
with them being named, but they would not have to be called to the
house as under a privilege motion.
|
Comments
|
Quick links