Lok Sabha witnesses disruption after Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra’s remarks on Judge Loya’s death
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju warns of action against her
by The Hindu Bureau · The HinduThe Lok Sabha on Friday witnessed two adjournments after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju warned Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra for her remarks about the death of a judge, the circumstances of whose death were examined and settled by the Supreme Court.
Participating in a debate on 75 years of the Indian Constitution, Ms. Moitra made a remark on Judge B.H. Loya’s death while targeting the BJP for alleged attempts to silence institutions and Opposition leaders critical of the government.
Judge Loya’s death in 2014 had created a major row following a media report alleging foul play as he was hearing a politically sensitive case.
Mr. Rijiju said that the Judge Loya case was settled by the Supreme Court. “We will take appropriate parliamentary action. You cannot escape. You are setting a very wrong precedents,” he said.
BJP member Nishikant Dubey had first raised the issue after Ms. Moitra finished her speech and soon after Mr. Rijiju intervened.
This agitated the Opposition MPs, who trooped into the Well of the House and demanded an apology. In a post on X, reacting to Mr. Rijiju, Ms. Moitra said all those reporting that “Parliament Affairs Minster warned me — it is he who will face action for threatening me! His remarks to be deleted — not mine!”
When the House reconvened after two adjournments, senior Opposition members including Saugata Roy of the Trinamool Congress and K.C. Venugopal of the Congress, protested against Mr. Rijiju’s choice of words, emphasising that it was Speaker Om Birla who is the custodian of Lok Sabha.
Addressing Mr. Birla, Mr. Venugopal said, “You are the custodian. You have the powers to delete, expunge... The Parliamentary Affairs Minister hijacked and took the entire custody of the House and he virtually threatened the lady member.”
In her speech, Ms. Moitra had accused the BJP of bleeding the Constitution with “a thousand cuts”. But, for most part of her speech, she targeted former Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud without naming him. She said what troubled the Opposition was that some members of the higher judiciary appear to be doing their best to compromise the independence and integrity of the country’s constitutional courts.
“The outgoing CJI waxed eloquent on how the right to bail has been granted during his tenure.... From A for Arnab to Z for Zubair, his alphabets seem to be abbreviated because it did not include G for Gulfisha Fatima, did not include H for Hany Babu, did not include K for Khalid Saifi, did not include S for Sharjeel Imam, U for Umar Khalid and countless others,” she said.
Published - December 13, 2024 11:27 pm IST