Wednesday, August 10, 2011

BJP blames it on P Chidambaram on Police brutality

10 Aug 2011

PARLIAMENT STALLED AGAIN: 'CHIDU ENGINEERED POLICE BRUTALITY'

From Our Delhi Bureau

NEW DELHI: Screaming Opposition brought down Parliament on Wednesday over Delhi Police "brutality" on the BJP youths demonstrating against corruption, demanding Home Minister P Chidambaram's sack for engineering the attacks to avenge the 2G scam graft charges levelled on him.

The government is panicky that it has become nearly impossible to get any work accomplished in the past 10 days and 8 sittings since the monsoon session began. Chidambaram offered to make a statement to break impasse, but the BJP leaders wriggled out as the party MPs won't allow them any new "compromise."

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal accused the BJP of stalling Parliament on "frivolous" issues after agreeing to cooperate in its smooth running. He was uncertain of fate of the heavy agenda of a large number of Bills to be passed in the remaining 20 sittings until September 8 if the Opposition remains adamant on blockade.

Both the Houses were disrupted right from the start as the shouting BJP members left their seats and entered the well to protest the police crackdown on the "peaceful" party youths at the instance of Chidambaram. They alleged that he ordered the crackdown to teach a lesson to the BJP repeatedly demanding his resignation on the 2G scam issue.

Pandemonium ruled when the two Houses met after a washed-out question hour due to adjournment, prompting the chair to adjourn the Rajya Sabha for the day immediately while the deputy speaker shut the Lok Sabha for the day after another attempt at 2 pm.

"You cannot use force to stop those protesting against corruption and rising prices. That is why Chidambaram should resign," BJP leader Gopinath Munde told reporters outside Parliament. He said the demonstration in the Lok Sabha was also to demand dismissal of the Maharashtra government for the police firing on farmers in Pune and protest at attack on the BJP workers in Pune, all happening on Tuesday.

The Lok Sabha was rocked immediately after an obituary references on death of former Gujarat MP Shanti Bhai Patel as the BJP and Shiv Sena members walked into the well shouting slogans. The Samajwadi Party members too joined him in solidarity to protest the police firing on farmers in Pune.

Some held placards of "Dismiss the Maharashtra government which fired on farmers." Three persons, including a woman and a child, were reportedly killed in the Police action in Pune. Others, including its youth wing president Anurag Thakur, displayed newspaper clippings carrying reports of the lathi-charge on those participating in a protest march to Parliament and claimed 40 youths were injured.

After both the Houses were adjourned for the day, Parliamentary minister Bansal shared the government's worry that it is totally in dark on what the Opposition wants. The main opposition BJP agreed on smooth running of Parliament and in turn the government is ready for discussion on any issues it wants, but still nothing is moving.

He wondered if the BJP wants to keep relevance of Parliament or not as the government finds itself helpless if it springs up new issues, not allowing completion of even the discussions it sought as it happened in Tuesday when the BJP-sponsored discussion on the Commonwealth Games (CWG) was disrupted by the party MPs themselves.

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