Moga molestation rocks Parliament; Congress, AAP MPs raise slogans

The Moga molestation case rocked Parliament on Tuesday with Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Amarinder Singh moving an adjournment motion to discuss the law and order situation in Punjab, a request turned down by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. Both houses of Parliament had to be adjourned following the ruckus by the Congress and AAP MPs.

The opposition Congress wanted the suspension of Question Hour to take up the issue immediately. The decision of the former Punjab Chief Minister to move the adjournment motion in Lok Sabha came days after a teenager was killed in Moga after being thrown off a moving bus by her molesters.

Singh, who met the parents of the girl in Moga on Monday, said that she was pushed off from a moving Orbit bus owned by the ruling Badal family, which reflected complete breakdown of the law and order situation in Punjab. He had demanded the imposition of President's Rule in Punjab, alleging that the law and order machinery in the state has collapsed.

Uproar in Rajya Sabha

In Rajya Sabha, Ambika Soni (Congress) raised the issue saying there was a complete breakdown of law and order in Punjab, necessitating Centre's intervention. Other parties including the Left joined in the protest with Mayawati (BSP) demanding imposition of President's rule in the state.

The demand for a discussion on the issue was strongly opposed by Akali Dal members, forcing Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien to adjourn the House for 10 minutes. The opposition continued to vociferously press their demand when the House reassembled, forcing another adjournment till noon.

Soni said the situation in Punjab merits direct intervention of the Centre as law and order has broken down. Anand Sharma (Congress) said this was a very serious issue and the House should condemn the incident.

Kurien said no notice on the subject has been given. "I am not saying anything about merit of what you are saying. All I have said is please give notice." Sitaram Yechury (CPM) said the chair should allow some matter that has come up so urgently. "Because of the importance of the incident, please allow us to discuss."

Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the matter needed to be discussed as the bus belonged to a company run by senior government functionary.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the state government had taken immediate action against the culprits and it was not proper to discuss the working of state governments in the House. "If you want to discuss various issues, give a notice," he said.

Kurien said he has two notices for suspension of business under rule 267 on separate issues and wants to dispose of them first. Soon after the notices were disallowed after the movers spoke briefly, Opposition was again on their feet raising the Moga incident.

Mayawati (BSP) said no action has been taken against the real culprits. "Life and property of women in Punjab is in danger... President's rule should be imposed," she said.

Kurien however insisted that a notice be given seeking a discussion on the issue. But opposition members were unrelenting and moved into the aisles shouting slogans, forcing the adjournment.

Congress's Amarinder attacks the Badals

"The law and order machinery of the state, which had gone bankrupt long back, has totally collapsed," he had said after meeting the parents of the girl. Singh said that crimes of serious nature were regularly taking place in the state and fear and insecurity are prevailing among people because of such incidents.

"The SAD-BJP government has lost the will to govern and hence President's Rule is the only option (left)," he said. Singh had also condemned the hush-hush manner in which the Moga incident victim was cremated. "The Badals behaved like the Britishers, who had cremated Bhagat Singh in the night to avoid public outburst," he had said.

Amarinder had also said that he will be seeking time from President Pranab Mukherjee to lead a Congress delegation to him to demand the dismissal of the Parkash Singh Badal-led government and imposition of President's Rule in Punjab at the earliest.