Opposition demands Amit Shah resignation

NEW DELHI: The Budget session of Parliament resumed on a stormy note on Monday as the opposition protested against the Delhi riots and demanded the resignation of home minister Amit Shah , with pushing and shoving between BJP and Congress MPs marking proceedings in the Lok Sabha .The Lok Sabha saw Congress MP Ramya Haridas alleging that she was hit by BJP member Jaskaur Meena, with the latter responding with similar claims against Haridas. The House, adjourned till afternoon following an obituary reference for JD(U) MP Baidyanath Prasad Mahato , saw Congress MPs troop into the well, raising slogans and demanding Amit Shah’s resignation.Adjournment notices were moved by Congress seeking discussion and a House probe into Delhi communal clashes.The Rajya Sabha, too, failed to transact much business amid protests by the opposition. Proceedings were adjourned till 2pm after the entire opposition protested, with Leader of opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad accusing the Centre of “sleeping” for three days when violence was rocking Delhi.When the Lok Sabha tried to execute work, initiating a discussion on ‘vivaad se vishwas bill’, it saw raucous scenes with Congress and allies camping in the well holding placards and raising slogans. Big black banners saying ‘Amit Shah must quit’ were displayed by MPs.An angry parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi slammed Congress’s “unruly behaviour”. “They murdered 3,000 people in 1984 (riots) and did no probe. The priority is to restore peace (in Delhi) but they want to create tension,” he said. BJP MPs later said that the Congress tactic of pushing towards BJP benches was provocative and could lead to showdowns as this was becoming a trend.As Speaker Om Birla continued to run the House and BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal was speaking on the bill, Congress MPs Gaurav Gogoi and Gurjit Singh Aujla went to the treasury side. BJP members demanded that they go back, resulting in scuffles and virtual bedlam.Haridas took her complaint to Birla. Sources said she broke down in the chamber and asked if it was repeatedly happening to her because she was “a Dalit and a woman”, visibly unsettling Birla. Haridas had made a complaint in the winter session also, following a clash.It was such a polarised confrontation on Monday that treasury and opposition members stayed in the House even after adjournments, raising slogans and pointing fingers.