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Mumbai strike halts Lok Sabha
Repeated disruptions as TMC & CPM MPs come to blows
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 4
Ugly scenes were witnessed in the Lok Sabha today as Trinamool Congress and CPM leaders literally came to blows while trading charges over the suburban motormen’s strike in Mumbai. Repeated disruptions became a norm during the day.

As the Opposition targeted Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was in Kolkata, over the Mumbai mess, Trinamool chief whip in the House, Sudip Bandopadhyay, lost his cool and virtually came to blows with CPM leader Basudeb Acharia.

Acharia was demanding imposition of the Essential Services Management Act (ESMA) for bringing the striking motormen back to work. Bandopadhyay apparently read West Bengal politics - TMC and CPM are bracing for Kolkata civic body polls - in the accusation and charged towards Acharia. It was only after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal intervened that the TMC leader pacified.

For its part, the Opposition has demanded an apology from Bandopadhyay. CPM leader Sitaram Yechury later discussed the matter with Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee. “I have met Pranab Mukherjee and Bansal and told them that Bandopadhyay's behaviour is condemnable and unacceptable. The way he threatened and moved menacingly towards Acharia is unbecoming of a member,” Yechury said outside the House. He said the Congress must “discipline” its allies.

A parliamentarian of 30 years, Acharia said he had never witnessed such behaviour in the House. “When Mamata was absent, Bandopadhyay spoke as if he was the minister,” the CPM leader said. Left’s outpourings, however, helped little, with Bandopadhyay refusing to apologise even when the Lok Sabha reassembled at 5.30 pm after a day-long disruption.

Only Minister of State for Railways KH Muniyappa made a statement on the Mumbai strike. Not a word was audible as Left MPs stormed the well demanding an apology from the TMC.The government, however, made good use of the mess and passed the crucial Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2010 (moved by Sushil Kumar Shinde), and the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (Amendment) Bill, 2010 (moved by HRD minister Kapil Sibal), within minutes without discussion.

Earlier in the day too, the question hour remained suspended as the Opposition sought the government to make a statement on the Mumbai rail strike. Bansal’s assurances that the statement would follow a discussion with Mamata did little to soothe frayed nerves.

Later at 12 noon when Speaker Meira Kumar allowed a discussion on the matter, MPs from Shiv Sena (Anant Geete), Congress (Sanjay Nirupam), BJP (Gopinath Munde), NCP (Sanjeev Naik), RJD (Lalu Yadav) and Left (Acharia and Gurudas Dasgupta), cutting across party lines, sought justice for the striking workers.

The discussions left the TMC isolated, with a united Opposition questioning Mamata’s silence on the issue, prompting party chief whip Bandopadhyay to make excuses for his leader. “She’s busy with Kolkata municipal elections and will respond when contacted,” he said.