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Sharad Pawar slams ‘attack’ on women MPs in Parliament
TMC leader Derek O’Brien alleged that there were more security guards than lawmakers in the Upper House, calling it an attempt by the government to “bulldoze” the insurance Bill.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and Rajya Sabha MP Sharad Pawar on Wednesday condemned the clash between the Opposition and government over the use of marshals or security personnel in Rajya Sabha during the passage of the insurance amendment Bill to privatise general insurance companies.
The General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment Bill, 2021, was passed with a voice vote amid tearing of papers and vociferous protest by Opposition parties.
“In my 55 years of parliamentary career, I never saw the way the women MPs were attacked today (in Rajya Sabha). More than 40 men and women were brought into the House from outside. It is painful. It is an attack on democracy,” the NCP leader told reporters after the Opposition staged a walk, alleging heavy deployment of marshals to prevent their protests.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O’Brien alleged that there were more security guards than lawmakers in the Upper House, calling it an attempt by the government to “bulldoze” the insurance Bill.
“RSTV will not show you that. This is censorship, the Modi-Shah Gujarat model at work in Parliament,” he posted on Twitter.
The TMC leader also alleged that the government was using “gender shields” to foil MPs’ protests inside the House.
“Male marshals were sent after women MPs and female marshals were posted in front of male MPs,” Brien said as some women MPs, including TMC’s Dola Sen and Congress’ Ami Yagnik, alleged manhandling by the marshals.
The government, however, alleged that the marshals were attacked and pushed by the lawmakers in the Rajya Sabha.
