Stunned Modi introspects, Oppn in no mood to relent

Following the demand, Modi made a brief statement in the Lok Sabha, and said that farmer issues are an age-old one. “For many years, farmers’ suicide has been the cause of concern for the nation and governments. Because of yesterday’s (April 22) incident, the grief in country has been expressed here. I join in the grief expressed in the Lok Sabha. We also have to see which wrong road we walked and what were the wrong steps taken in the past and present. We should all vow to work together and find a solution for this age-old problem,” said Modi.

Replying to a discussion on the issue during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, Home Minister Rajnath Singh termed the incident as a national shame and urged parties not to politicise it but co-operate with the government and find a solution to the problems faced by farmers. “Crowd was clapping. 

Police requested them to stop raising slogans. Generally, such people (who try to end lives) are engaged in talks to turn their mind but here the crowd kept clapping and raising slogans,” he said.

Singh said that an FIR has been registered at the Parliament Street Police Station in this regard and the case has been handed over to Crime Branch.

Meanwhile, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan’s decision to expunge AAP MP Bhagwant Mann’s remark on Thursday, referring to Modi, invited strong protests from several parties in the Opposition, including Congress and TMC in the Lok Sabha, forcing her to promise to reconsider it. Her order was immediately contested by Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and TMC’s Saugata Roy, who said Mann’s remark was neither “unparliamentary nor against rules” and demanded to know under which rule she had made the decision. Kharge also argued that members have a right to speak against the Prime Minister, the leader of the House. 

Though the Speaker refused to allow raising points of order during Zero Hour, she assured Opposition members that she would reconsider her decision. “I understand your sentiments. I will look into it later and if the reference and context are right, then I will allow it,” she said. When Opposition members persisted, she added: “I will reconsider it.”

As soon as Lok Sabha met on Thursday, Kharge demanded suspension of the Question Hour to discuss the farmer’s suicide issue.