The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and AIADMK on Tuesday managed to blunt the attack mounted by Congress and CPI(M) on two Union Ministers — Smriti Irani and Ram Shankar Katheria — by pushing for a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the Aircel-Maxis deal, after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan took the House’s consent and gave them the go-ahead.
Soon after the day’s proceedings began, AIADMK members trooped to the Well of the House, demanding a discussion on an English newspaper report alleging that former Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s son Karti had invested in real estate across the world. They went back once Mahajan promised a discussion after Question Hour.
The Congress immediately sprang to its feet and rushed to the Well, alleging “discrimination” and “double standards” by the Speaker and questioning why a discussion had been disallowed on privilege motions moved by them. They were joined by CPI(M) and Trinamool Congress members who shouted:. “You allowed Arjun Meghwal (BJP) to read out his motion on Monday. Allow us too.”
The Speaker relented after TMC leader Sudip Bandhyopadhyaya urged her to allow Congress members to speak on the issue to “strengthen democratic functioning” of the House, but expressed her displeasure at slogans being shouted against her. “I have not said no to anybody,” she added.
Congress and Left members then accused Irani of using the House to “mislead” the nation with her “totally blatant untruth” during her reply last week on Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula’s suicide in the Hyderabad Central University.
K C Venugopal (Congress) cited the subsequent response of the Hyderabad health official to claim that she made “false” comments, adding that a book that Irani said was allowed by the then HRD Minister Kapil Sibal was discontinued in 2001, “long before he became a minister under the UPA government.”
Salim said, “What the Minister said was totally blatant untruth. Will you allow the House to be used to mislead the nation?”
Ranjit Ranjan (Cong) accused Irani of referring to her in a “threatening” manner and dared her to read her letter in full in the House, adding that every MP helps people in their constituencies. She took a jibe at Irani by pointing out the difference between an “elected member” and a “selected member”. Irani had lost in the last Lok Sabha polls from Amethi and is now a Rajya Sabha member.
Later, pandemonium broke out when Leader of Congress Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue of Katheria’s controversial remarks at a public meeting in Agra allegedly directed at Muslims. The Speaker disallowed him to speak amid protests by the Treasury benches and adjourned the House briefly.