Click to play videoNew Delhi: Incensed over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remarks that Muslims would have the first claim on country's resources, the Opposition BJP and Shiv Sena on Monday stalled both Houses of Parliament, demanding an apology from the premier.
After two adjournments in the pre-lunch session when the members reassembled, BJP and Shiv Sena members didn't allow any business to be conducted and both Houses were eventually adjourned for the day.
It was trouble from the word go in both Houses although in Lok Sabha TRS Supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao could take oath and Speaker Somnath Chatterjee greeted a Parliamentary delegation from Namibia.
As the Houses met for the day, Opposition members were on their feet protesting Prime Minister's statement made at the Inter-State Council meeting on Saturday.
In the Lok Sabha, Deputy Leader of the Opposition V K Malhotra demanded suspension of the Question Hour to discuss the issue. "I have the right to seek the suspension of the Question Hour," Malhotra said as other BJP members demanded an apology from the Prime Minister and waved copies of his speech.
Malhotra was unrelenting when the Speaker said he could raise the matter after the Question Hour. The uproar continued for about seven minutes after which the Speaker adjourned the House till 1130 hours.
When the House met again, similar scenes prevailed and the Speaker adjourned it till noon.
In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of the Opposition Jaswant Singh tried to raise the issue, but was disallowed by Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh, Arun Shourie, Yashwant Sinha (all BJP) and Manohar Joshi (Shiv Sena) demanded that Singh be allowed to make a statement.
The Chairman, however, said he would not allow Question Hour to be disrupted. He said if the issue was important, the Opposition should have given a proper notice for adjournment of the Question Hour. BJP members trooped into the well seeking Prime Minister's apology. They alleged that Congress was playing votebank politics.
Ruling benches wanted the House to take up Question Hour first. As the din continued, the Chairman adjourned the House till 1130 hrs. When the Rajya Sabha met again, the uproar continued leading to its adjournment till moon.
On Sunday, the BJP had vowed all-out war over Dr Singh's remark on Muslims. "These remarks are a matter of grave concern as they amount to dividing the country's resources on religious lines. Our party will raise its objections vociferously in both houses on Monday over the Prime Minister's comments," Vijay Kumar Malhotra said.
While the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has come out with a clarification on the issue, saying that Dr Singh's remark had been "misinterpreted" and that he was, in fact, talking about "SC/STs and all the minorities," the BJP will buy none of it.
"The Prime Minister wants SC/STs and all minorities to have first claim over resources," the PMO said on Sunday.
"I would urge people to read the entire statement. It begins with the reference to the welfare of Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, weaker sections and it goes on to talk about minorities and that's when he says Muslims," PM's media adviser Dr Sanjaya Baru said.
"What has been done by the media, political parties and the leaders is that they have looked only at the last sentence of the paragraph which is a motivated way of projecting what the Prime Minister has said," Baru added.
But the BJP is already up in arms. BJP chief Rajnath Singh reacted sharply to Singh's comments at the National development Council meeting, calling them 'very unfortunate and appalling'. "Indications from the government are very grave. Sometimes, there are moves to reserve seats in educational establishments on the basis of religion and sometimes there are reports like that of Justice Sachar," he said.
"We don't believe in clarifications that have come from the PMO since Saturday. we will strongly oppose in the Parliament the Prime Minister's suggestions that minorities have the first claim on resources," Malhotra added.
FOR AND AGAINST | |
 | BJP Spokesperson, V K Malhotra: We are asking the Prime Minister to apologise for the statement. It is a divisive, condemnable statement. |
| BJP Spokesperson, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi: The Prime Minister's speech is not an honest attempt to improve the lot of the minorities; it's a political gimmick which will divide the country. |
| Water Resources Minister, Saifuddin Soz: The Prime Minister's speech had a context. He was talking about development of the scheduled castes and the minorities - something which they deserve. |
| Minister Science and Technology, Kapil Sibal: The PM's statement was not political. It was divulged in the NDC meet. Some people need to brush their English language to understand what PM has said. It was not political statement, but was a development oriented speech. People are just trying to politicize it. |
| Minority Affairs Minister, A R Antulay: It's just one political party that is making noise over this issue. Minorities are different in different states. Even Hindus are a minority in Punjab, Kashmir, Lakshadweep and some parts of the North-East. |
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