Din in Maha Assembly as Congress seeks suspension of MLAs who hit Rahul Gandhi’s poster with footwear; Speaker to issue code of conduct

MUMBAI: Noisy scenes were witnessed in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Friday after Congress members demanded suspension of those members from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena, who hit a poster of Rahul Gandhi with footwear a day ago over his remarks against Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar.

The House was adjourned three times as pandemonium prevailed due to sloganeering by Congress legislators and the treasury benches.

Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar later said he would issue a set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) and code of conduct for the members in respect of references to prime minister, chief minister and national leaders, while Chief Minister Eknath Shinde slammed the opposition for ”insulting” Savarkar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The members of the BJP and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena had on Thursday hit the poster of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with footwear on the stairs of the Legislature complex here for his remarks against Savarkar.

Gandhi has been repeatedly targeting Savarkar. During the Maharashtra leg of his Bharat Jodo Yatra in November last year, Gandhi had claimed that the Hindutva ideologue helped the British rulers and wrote a mercy petition to them out of fear.

As soon as the proceedings of the House began for the day, Nana Patole (Congress) demanded that treasury bench members who hit Gandhi’s posters with footwear be suspended from the House.

Responding to the demand, speaker Narvekar said he has sought a report on the developments in the legislature complex and will also get its video footage.

”Let me examine the footage and then I will give my ruling. I will not go against the principles of natural justice,” he said.

Enraged, the opposition members rushed to the Well of the House and shouted slogans in support of Rahul Gandhi.

Culture Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar objected to some references to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by members protesting in the well. Narvekar said what they have said will not go on record.

The ruling members said they will not tolerate anything against PM Modi.

Both sides indulged in sloganeering in support of and against PM Modi and Rahul Gandhi.

Due to the din, the House was first adjourned for 20 minutes. Later, presiding officer Sanjay Shirsat adjourned it twice – first for 15 minutes and then for 20 minutes.

When the business of the House resumed, the speaker said the incident (of Gandhi’s poster being hit in the legislature complex premises) was not right. ”Similarly some comments made in the House were not right,” he said. ”I will go through the video footage and take appropriate action,” he said.

Narvekar also said he would issue a set of SoPs and code of conduct for members in respect of references to prime minister, chief minister and national leaders in the next few days.

CM Shinde lambasted the opposition for targeting PM Modi.

”Insulting the prime Minister is insulting the country. Decorum of the house needs to be maintained. You have been calling me names for the last eight months. I request the chair to take all these things into consideration while giving the ruling tomorrow. If democracy in the country is under threat, how was the Bharat Jodo Yatra taken out and flag hoisted in Srinagar? We will also not tolerate the insult of Savarkar,” he asked.

Source: Press Trust of India