Ruckus in LS over onion prices, remarks on PM, Nirmala
New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Tuesday witnessed an uproar followed by cross allegations between the treasury and opposition benches, mainly the Congress, on issues of onion price rise and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Ministers Amit Shah and Nirmala Sitharaman.
The ruckus began during Zero Hour of the House with the Congress raising issue of price rise while the treasury benches hit back at the party over its Leader of House Chowdhury’s remarks against Modi, Shah and Sitharaman.
Chowdhury launched attack on the Centre’s policy raising issue of price rise of daily used items like onions, other vegetables, and pulses.
“There is fire inside the markets across the whole country as the prices of all items have been increasing, especially onion. Centre imports onion on the price of Rs 67 per kg which is being sold in the market at the price of Rs 130-140 per kg,” Chowdhury said.
Citing Prime Minister’s statement “neither I indulge in corruption nor let anyone to indulge in corrupt practice”, the Congress MP said: “You see what happened to the country right now.”
He accused the government of not taking strong steps to curb price rise of items used in regular life. He said the government should apologise to the people of the country.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal stood on his seat saying “Adhir Ranjan sahib should be given chance to speak after he renders apology for his remarks against the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister”.
“You should first seek apology to the House,” Meghwal said.
The minister referred to Chowdhury’s earlier remarks against the Prime Minister and the Home Minister in which he had called them “infiltrators” on the issue of National Register of Citizen (NRC).
The matter was raised in the House on Monday too with the treasury benches seeking Chowdhury’s “unconditional apology” but the Congress leader did not apologise and said that the BJP was only making “a mountain out of a molehill”.
Referring to Monday’s debate in the House over Hyderabad rape and murder of a veterinary doctor, BJP leader Poonam Mahajan, meanwhile, blasted Chowdhury over his “Nirbala” remarks against Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
“All parties were together over the issue of rape and murder of Hyderabad doctor in the House yesterday. But, after while, Adhir Ranjanji lost his patience. I condemn the remarks he made against our first woman Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. It is very bad. This is a government where the maximum number of women have been given post of minister,” Mahajan said.
“It is a matter of sorrow that this is the party which was fighting with a woman to show ‘nirbalata’ (weakness). But the Minister whose name has the word Nirmala gave her reply in a calm way. The example of weakness is Congress party. You (Adhir Ranjan) are weak, Dada.”
Slogans of “Adhir Ranjan Hai Hai” were raised by the treasury benches.
Chowdhury had made “Nirbala” remark against the Finance Minister while speaking on Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
Later Congress staged a walkout from the House alleging that the government was not taking up real social issues seriously and only trying to divert attention of Parliament by raising non relevant matters.