Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury slams Govt for not allowing MPs to visit Kashmir

New Delhi:

Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday launched a blistering attack on the government for barring members of Parliament from visiting Jammu and Kashmir while allowing members of the European Union (EU) Parliament to visit Srinagar.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Chowdhary said it was an “atrocity” not to allow former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah to attend Lok Sabha proceedings.

The Congress leader used a derogatory term for members of the European Union (EU) to which some members took objection. Speaker Om Birla said he would examine whether the remark should be expunged.

“Our leader Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to visit (Jammu and Kashmir), several MPs were sent back … is it not an insult that we can’t go there … migrant labourers were killed, Army men are dying,” he said.

Chowdhury also raised the issue of withdrawal of Special Protection Group (SPG) cover of former prime minister Manmohan Singh and the Gandhi family. He said as former prime minister, late Atal Bihari Vajpayee remained under SPG protection.

The Speaker said when Home Minister Amit Shah had informed the House in the previous session that Abdullah was not under detention, he was correct. The written information of his detention was received later by the Lok Sabha secretariat.

He said now he has written information that Abdullah is under detention. Earlier, within minutes of commencement of the Question Hour, around 30 members from the Congress trooped into the Well, shouting slogans and demanding that the government stop attacking the Opposition as well as foisting false cases.

The members along with those from the National Conference also raised the issue of detention of Farooq Abdullah. The issue was also raised by RSP leader N K Premachandran when he was given a chance to ask a supplementary question related to the Finance Ministry. “Farooq Abdullah is not in the House. The House is not in order. I am not in a position to ask any question,” Premachandran said.

On the sidelines of the Winter Session of Parliament, Chowdhury on Monday said it was the government’s responsibility to run the House smoothly so that debates and discussions can be held on issues concerning the people. Speaking to reporters, Chowdhury said dialogue was the essence of Parliamentary democracy.

“It is incumbent upon the government to run the House smoothly so that Opposition parties will be able to express their views, articulate their opinion in an appropriate manner. This is the essence of Parliamentary democracy. “We also expect from the Prime Minister and the ruling party that all the issues concerning to the interest of the common people must be allowed to be discussed inside the Parliament. Parliament is meant for discussion, debate and dialogue,” he said. He also accused the government of labelling anyone who disagreed with them as “urban naxals”.   (PTI)