New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday claimed he was 'insulted' and that his 'self-respect has been challenged' as his mic was turned off while he was speaking in Rajya Sabha the previous day.
"It was a breach of my privilege. This is my insult. My self-respect has been challenged," Kharge told the upper house of Parliament while referring to Tuesday's proceedings.
"If the House is run on the instructions of the government, then I will understand that it is not a democracy," he added.
मैं अपने मुद्दे सदन के सामने रख रहा था, और जब 50 लोगों ने 267 पर notice दिए , मुझे संसद में बोलने का मौका भी नहीं मिला। ठीक है।
लेकिन कम से कम जब मैं बोल रहा हूँ तो मेरा माइक बंद कर दिया गया, ये मेरे privilege को धक्का है।
ये मेरा अपमान हुआ है। मेरे self-respect को उन्होंने… pic.twitter.com/nKpGX80AwC
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) July 26, 2023
Other Opposition members supported Kharge with many of them raising slogans and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar asking them to take their seats.
When he informed Kharge that several MPs were standing in the rows behind him, the Congress leader said, "Mere peechhe khade agar nahi honge toh kya Modi ke peechhe khade honge? (If they will not stand behind me, will they stand behind (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi?)"
Dhankhar and several other lawmakers were then seen smiling at Kharge's remarks. The chairman, however, clarified that the mic was not turned off and that he has also checked with the deputy chairperson.
The floor was given to Kharge when the House was discussing a legislative matter, Dhankhar said.
"Any transgression that takes place... Everyone in the House is aware that cannot be allowed. At that stage, the deputy chairperson intervened. So, it not that mics were turned off," he said.
Dhankhar also referred to certain media reports which quoted an MP as saying that AAP member Sanjay Singh was suspended from the House for raising an issue. He said the member was suspended not for raising an issue, but because of his misconduct and indecorous behaviour. He stressed that no one is suspended from the House for raising issues.
"We cannot allow these kinds of things. It is a plain and simple breach of privilege. Putting it in the public domain that this House suspended a member because the member was trying to raise an issue is unpardonable. This is an aggravated form of breach of privilege," Dhankhar said.
Sanjay Singh was on Monday suspended from Rajya Sabha for the rest of the Monsoon session for repeatedly 'violating' the directives of the Chair while protesting on the Manipur issue.
Opposition MPs walk out of Rajya Sabha over Manipur issue
Opposition members on Wednesday walked out from the Rajya Sabha in protest against the Modi government's stance on the demand for a discussion on the Manipur issue. When the Upper House of Parliament reassembled for the post-lunch period, Deputy Chairman Harivansh called Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda to move the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill, 2022 amid demand from the opposition members for discussion on the Manipur issue.
He then gave the floor to Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge who asked the deputy chairman not to shut his mic in jest. Harivansh, in turn, asked Kharge to listen to him as well after he spoke.
Kharge said the opposition wanted a discussion on the Manipur issue as well as a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said that they are still waiting for it.
He said even after five days, the prime minister has not come to the House and even he is watching the proceedings from his office.
The Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha wondered why the prime minister was not giving a statement. As a consequence, he said, the Opposition parties have not been able to put forward their views even as the whole country is willing to listen to them.
The government is not giving the opportunity to the Opposition to put forth their views and is also not listening to their demand, he alleged.
In protest against the stand of the government, Kharge said, "We are staging a walkout."
Harivansh asked the opposition members to listen to him before walking out but in vain.
The Manipur issue has rocked the proceedings of the Monsoon session of Parliament since it started last week.
