Trinamool Congress disturbed by Amit Shah's rally, says Venkaiah Naidu

New Delhi: BJP slammed the conduct of Trinamool Congress MPs who waved ‘red diaries’ in both houses on Monday as “unparliamentary.” While the Trinamool MPs targeted Amit Shah, BJP said that Mamata Banerjee’s party was “disturbed and perturbed” by the response Shah’s rally got in Kolkata.

“They are very worried. They are disturbed and perturbed about the massive response our party president got in Kolkata yesterday. That’s the reason for this reaction,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu told reporters.

He was asked about Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs displaying red diaries in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. TMC leader Sudeep Bandhopadhyay told reporters outside Parliament that the BJP chief’s name was mentioned in a ‘red diary’ allegedly recovered by the Central Bureau of Investigation during searches at Sahara’s office in November.

Taking a dig at Bandhopadhyay, Shah said, “Well, the Trinamool developed a liking for red. Let them come together, there is no problem.”

Criticising the action of the TMC MPs, Naidu said, “See you can’t just bring objects from outside and then flash them in the house. You may get cheap publicity but the purpose will not be served. If there is something substantial, there are ways and means of giving notice and getting the issue discussed. That is why in the Lok Sabha, I stood up and told the Speaker, that whatever has been said on three counts, one, about a person who is not a member of the house, two, by people who are not speaking from their respective seats, three, people who have violated the rule, gone to the well of the house. They have no right to take names and then make issues. So on all these counts, what the Trinamool did in the house today is totally unparliamentary, that is why there is no need to take notice of it.”

Naidu’s statement came after Trinamool Congress and BJP on Monday targeted each other in Parliament, leading to clashes and walkouts.

In the Lok Sabha, Trinamool members rushed to the Well shouting slogans. They demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should explain what action CBI has taken after the name allegedly figured in the diary.

They later staged a walkout of the proceedings.

Bandyopadhyay had given a notice for suspension of Question Hour to discuss the issue which was rejected by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

Later, BJP member Kirit Somaiya alleged that the West Bengal government of Trinamool Congress was creating “hurdles” in the CBI investigation into the Saradha chit fund scam and that names of “one dozen” Trinamool leaders have cropped up.

This led to protests by Trinamool members but Somaiya went on saying that 3.5 lakh small investors had been cheated in the chit fund scheme.

“The state government is not cooperating with the CBI probe,” he alleged. Amid the noisy scenes, the Speaker adjourned the House for lunch, ahead of schedule.

In the Rajya Sabha, Derek O’Brien (TMC) sought to raise the issue during Zero Hour and Question Hour but was disallowed. He had earlier given a notice for suspension of Question Hour but was not allowed.

As O’Brien rose to raise the issue during Question Hour, BJP members shouted him down by raising the issue of Saradha chit fund scam.

Trinamool members later staged a walkout as they were disallowed from raising the issue.

PTI