New Delhi:
In an unusual move, members from the ruling Congress on Friday trooped into the well of Rajya Sabha and forced its adjournment, agitated over not being allowed to raise the reported remarks by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi about Dalits.
Senior Congress member Praveen Rashtrapal got up and wanted to raise the issue during Zero Hour but was denied permission by Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan, who said the notice has not been admitted by the Chairman.
Joined by Congress members J D Seelam, Alka Balram Kshatriya, Ishwar Singh, M A Khan and others, agitated Rashtrapal stormed the well insisting he be allowed to raise the matter.
Rashtrapal was heard saying Modi has "humiliated" Dalits and B R Ambedkar. Sensing the mood of the treasury benches, Khan adjourned the House for 15 minutes.
During that brief period, Congress members were seen discussing with Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Prithviraj Chavan. They also went to the Chairman's office.
When the House resumed and Khan called P Rajeev (CPI-M) for his Zero Hour mention on corruption charges in the Home Ministry, Rashtrapal was at it again.
As he and his party colleagues started marching towards the well, Deputy Chairman adjourned the House for the second time till 2 PM.
Later talking to reporters outside the House, Rashtrapal said he has been denied the opportunity to raise the matter despite repeated attempts.
"The entire world knows about Modi. In his statement while releasing a book 'Samajik Samrasta' on April 26, he had said Ambedkar was not a revolutionary.... Modi also compared Dalits to mentally retarded children," he said, adding he would raise the issue again on Monday.