NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha witnessed a brief heated exchange between Congress and BJP members on Monday during the question hour when the leader of opposition Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that “surveillance” being mounted on opposition MPs within the house, as he pointed towards an officer sitting in the Officers’ Gallery next to the treasury benches.

The BJP rubbished the charge asserting that the proceedings of the house were live on TV, hence there was no need for anyone to note down the presence of MPs.

As the question hour was progressing smoothly, Kharge stood up and alleged that an officer was taking notes on the opposition MPs, and was regularly standing and counting. “It is surveillance. Who is he? Why is he taking notes? He is counting the number of MPs on this side. Is it permissible?” Kharge said, as his party members raised their voice in his support.

The senior Congress leader added that as soon as he raised the issue, the officer ran away from the gallery, asking Speaker to check his notepad.

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi was seen explaining to Kharge how the concerned officer was taking notes.

To this, minister for human resource and development Prakash Javadekar said, “Lok Sabha proceedings were telecast live and everyone can see what is happening in the House”.

He even took a jibe at Congress President Rahul Gandhi, saying, “People can even see who is winking in the house”, referring to Gandhi’s wink after he hugged the Prime Minister on Friday during no-confidence motion debate.

The minister of state for parliamentary affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal said that the concerned officer was from his ministry and was doing his duty.

The tension was defused by the Speaker Sumitra Mahajan , who assured the agitated Congress MPs, who were supported by left parties, that she will look into the matter.

The Speaker said that she didn’t see the officer and anyway everything was live on TV.

