Rajya Sabha Disrupted Despite Union Minister Expressing Regret

New Delhi: Proceedings in Rajya Sabha were disrupted again today even as Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal expressed regret for his comment on the remarks made by Congress leader Kumari Selja about her entry to a Gujarat temple.

Ms Selja refused to accept the minister's regret and efforts were being made outside the House to resolve the matter through a series of meetings of leaders of various parties with Chairman Hamid Ansari and Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien.

Congress members created uproar soon after the House mourned the death of thousands in the Bhopal gas leakage accident 31 years ago. They trooped into the Well of the House shouted slogans, demanding an apology by the minister.

"Mafi maango, mafi maango (express apology)," they shouted along with "Constitution ka apman bandh karo, bandh karo (stop insulting the Constitution)."

Ms Selja, while participating in a debate on the Constitution on Monday, had alleged that she had faced discrimination at the temple when she visited there as a Union Minister some years back as she was asked about her caste.

She had alleged that "this was also a form of the Gujarat model", an apparent attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Commenting on this, Mr Goyal yesterday said it was "manufactured discrimination", leading to uproar because of which the House remained deadlocked for most part of the day.

Today, when Deputy Chairman called Trinamool Congress (TMC) lawmaker, Nadimal Haque to raise his zero hour mention, Congress members shouted slogans and stormed the Well.

At his point, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu suggested that House be adjourned for a while for a solution to be arrived at.

When the House re-assembled after 30-minute adjournment, Mr Goyal said, "in view of the Chair's decision to review the records, I regret my remarks with respect to my colleague Kumari Selja."

However, uproar continued with Congress members again storming the Well as Ms Selja refused to accept the minister's regret.

Chairman Hamid Ansari said order should be restored as the minister has expressed regret.

An agitated Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the attitude of Congress members made it clear that they do not want the House to function. "This is not right," he said.

The House is now functioning normally.