M A I N   N E W S

TMC, BJP members get into ugly spat
Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 8
A new low was witnessed in the Lok Sabha today as MPs of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP got into an argument over a protest against the Railway Budget.

As tempers flared on both sides, the House was adjourned at 3.35 pm. Soon, TMC MPs complained about the spat to the Speaker. They blamed the BJP for the incident while addressing the media outside the House.

On the resumption of proceedings at 4.30 pm, TMC’s Saugata Roy said BJP member Hari Narayan Rajbhar used “foul language” against women members of the TMC and “threatened” to beat them up after stripping them when they were protesting in the Well against the Budget. Rajbhar is an MP from Ghosi, Uttar Pradesh.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Prakash Javadekar said, “We respect you (Trinamool members). But the issue is who disturbed the House... Those who disturb are complaining. Ask them to maintain order.”

Javadekar said the people of this country had elected the BJP with a “massive majority”, leading to another uproar by the Opposition. He quickly added that all 543 elected members were the representatives of people and should be respected.

Earlier, the TMC targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister DV Sadananda Gowda. They raised anti-Modi slogans — “PM hai hai, PM ki tanahshahi nahin chalegi and Adani model nahin chalega”. Aam Aadmi Party’s Bhagwant Mann was also protesting against the Budget.