New Delhi: Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday walked out of the Rajya Sabha as soon as the Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu announced Question Hour. The protest was against West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar for allegedly withholding the SC and ST legislation, cleared by the State Assembly.
TMC members barged into the Well and shouted slogans, as the party was not allowed to raise the issue on the floor of the House by its member Derek O'Brien as no prior notice had been given, following which TMC members trooped into the Well raising slogans.
During their protest, the live transmission of the proceeding of Rajya Sabha TV was suspended twice for a while. The Rajya Sabha Chairman lamented that Parliament's image was "going down" due to such conduct. "I don't want to be harsh to anybody. You are all members and as my own children and some of you are my elders. Please see that we maintain decency and decorum and take advantage of Zero Hour or special mention for submissions. We have been liberal," Naidu asserted.
Even in the Lok Sabha, TMC MP from Dum Dum constituency Saugata Roy raised the issue during debate on the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2019 related to extending the quota for SC and STs in legislatures for 10 years.
"I must mention in this context the strict injustice that is being done to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The West Bengal Governor is not sending the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission Bill to the West Bengal Assembly. The House was adjourned last week for this. Sir, this is a great humiliation to the SC and ST communities. I would urge the West Bengal Governor to change his ways," Roy mentioned.
The legislation passed in the State Assembly is concerning the formation of the SC and ST commission in West Bengal.