E-Paper
Furore over Congress MP filming House proceedings. What was the video about?
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar suspended Congress MP Rajani Ashokrao Patil for the remainder of the current Budget Session for filming House proceedings.
Union minister Piyush Goyal on Friday objected to a video recording of the House proceedings, allegedly shot by Congress MP Rajani Patil, urging Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar to have the matter investigated. Goyal said that the video “demonstrated and distributed" through social media “clearly shows” that it was recorded in the precincts of the House.
“An unfortunate incident happened yesterday. It has been found that on social media we're seeing videos recorded in this august House in a very very unfortunate manner, showing senior Members of Parliament in very poor light,” Goyal said.
“Even though it is showing the honourable member from the Opposition in poor light, from the principal opposition party particularly in very poor light, I think any such action done by any honourable member…is something of very serious concern,” he further stated.
“I'll consider this misconduct of the House, a blatant and flagrant disregard for the rules of the House...I would urge you (Chairman) to name the member who was involved in this act and appropriate actions should be taken in this case,” he added.
Dhankhar said he took serious note of the incident and invited senior members of the House to seek their guidance to find the way out.
“It is very explicit that if the proceedings of the House are videographed. That itself is a misdemeanour. But that gets disseminated and if you see a particular tweet account, there has been massive viewership of that. And it carries with a message,” the chairman said.
Dhankhar had earlier in the day indicated that action would be taken against those who had filmed a ruckus during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech on Thursday, asking leaders of political parties to express their views on the issue.
He later suspended Congress MP Rajani Ashokrao Patil for the remainder of the current Budget Session for filming House proceedings. A motion was adopted to suspend Patil for the remainder of the Budget Session, pending a report from the parliamentary privileges committee on the issue.
What was the video about?
The video reportedly showed the Opposition MPs raising slogans linking the prime minister to Adani and seeking a JPC probe into allegations levelled by the US short-seller Hindenburg Research. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi started his reply to the motion of thanks on the President's address, the Opposition MPs started raising slogans of "Modi-Adani bhai-bhai" in Rajya Sabha.
Speaking on the controversy, Congress MP Mukul Wasnik accused Sansad TV of biased broadcasting and asked whether the channel was instructed to only cover the treasury benches when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was replying to the motion of thanks on President's address.
