The MP climbed on top of a chair in Parliament and threw a file at the presiding officer\u2019s vacant chair.<\/p>\n
This retaliation came a day ahead of the scheduled tabling of a bill to privatise the General Insurance Corporation (GIC). The Opposition, which wants to send the bill to the select committee, feels that Tuesday\u2019s provocation was intended at dividing them ahead of the insurance bill foray.<\/p>\n
The Opposition had smelt \u201cmischief\u201d on Monday night itself. Late on Monday night, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had tweeted: \u201cTomorrow, in a too-clever-by-half move, the Modi government has scheduled a discussion on \u2018The agricultural problems and solutions\u2019 and added my name to it. The discussion has NOTHING to do with my notice given on July 23rd on the ongoing farmers\u2019 agitation.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, suspicious that the Centre would pass this off as a debate on the months-long farmers\u2019 agitation, the Opposition opposed the move and a tumult ensued for an hour and a half.<\/p>\n
AAP\u2019s Sanjay Singh took the lead in climbing on the table when the proceedings were on, resulting in a hasty adjournment. Congressman Pratap Singh Bajwa threw the file at the chair, which was unoccupied as the presiding officer, Bhubaneshwar Kalita, had already left the House.<\/p>\n
The BJP government described the incident as a new low in unparliamentary behaviour.<\/p>\n
Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi later told reporters that the government had accepted the Opposition\u2019s demand for a discussion on farmers\u2019 issues. \u201cBut the Opposition was not interested in a discussion. That is why they crossed all limits of unparliamentary behaviour. They did not even spare the Chair and heaped insult on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Opposition MPs said the situation was a direct result of a mischievous strategy of the government to thrust a general debate on agriculture on the Rajya Sabha instead of the specific issue of farmers\u2019 protests and the repeal of the three contentious farm laws.<\/p>\n
Efforts to broker peace by deputy chairman Harivansh produced no results. The government is now planning to again take up the insurance bill on Wednesday and possibly move for disciplinary action against some Opposition MPs.<\/p>\n
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