Monsoon Session of Parliament: Opposition seeks action against media for publishing expunged remarks

New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha on Friday witnessed an uproar with Opposition members, including those from the Congress, seeking initiation of privilege proceedings against certain media houses for disseminating the expunged remarks of an Samajwadi Party (SP) leader, leading to a brief adjournment of the proceedings. [caption id=“attachment_3832849” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] They alleged that due to the publication and broadcast of the expunged remarks of Naresh Agrawal, his house was attacked by BJP youth activists. Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien assured that he would look into the demand of the agitating members but asked them to first give notice along with material evidence. “Give notice with evidence and I will take action”, he said, as some members including Sukhendu Shekhar Roy of TMC and Anand Sharma of Congress sought immediate initiation of privilege proceedings against those newspapers and TV channels which had disseminated these remarks made in the Rajya Sabha and expunged by the chair on Wednesday. “I cannot act like an instant coffee. Notice has to be examined. Give notice and I will come back on this day itself”, Kurien said. Terming the issue raised by the Opposition as a serious matter, Kurien said that if anything has been expunged, no one can print it and nobody has the authority to file an FIR on the basis of the expunged remarks. The issue was raised by Agrawal himself saying certain remarks made by him in the Rajya Sabha were expunged by the Chair which had also ordered against publication or telecast of those remarks. Agrawal also alleged that members of BJP’s youth wing BJYM had attacked and vandalised his house in Delhi while a ruling party worker filed an FIR against him in Meerut in connection with these remarks. The SP leader said if a member is threatened for speaking in Rajya Sabha, it is a disrespect of the MPs as well as that of the Parliament. Kurien asked the government to enquire into the incident and take action. “If the MP’s home has been vandalised or attacked, the government should enquire and take action”. However, the Opposition did not yield and several of them including from Congress, SP and Left parties trooped into the Well shouting slogans against the BJP. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the they can take action as per the rules, adding that the government was against any kind of violence. As the Opposition members continued to raise slogans, Kurien adjourned the Rajya Sabha for about 15 minutes till noon.