Lawmakers from Tamil Nadu protested outside Parliament on Tuesday demanding Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s removal and an apology over his description of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) members in the Lok Sabha a day earlier.
Opposition lawmakers walked out over the description, which Pradhan withdrew later, as Lok Sabha was temporarily adjourned. Opposition parties returned to the House on Monday to corner the government over duplication of voter ID numbers, the New Education Policy (NEP), and the possible redrawing of Lok Sabha seats.
Rajya Sabha lawmaker Vaiko said Pradhan wounded their hearts while asking him to apologise. “...otherwise, the PM [Prime Minister Narendra Modi] should throw him [Pradhan] out of the cabinet.” Trinamool Congress lawmaker Kalyan Banerjee backed the demand.
DMK lawmaker Kanimozhi asked the central government to release Tamil Nadu’s withheld funds while echoing Vaiko’s demand, asking Pradhan to apologise.
Kanimozhi on Monday filed a breach of privilege notice against Pradhan, accusing him of making “highly malicious, misleading, and defamatory remarks.” Kanimozhi alleged that the minister used intemperate remarks such as “misled”, “dishonest”, “undemocratic” and “uncivilized” against her and her parliamentary colleagues from the DMK and other supporting parties.
Lok Sabha Speaker ordered removal of an objectionable word Pradhan used. Pradhan subsequently withdrew the comments and said he should not have made them.
{{/usCountry}}Lok Sabha Speaker ordered removal of an objectionable word Pradhan used. Pradhan subsequently withdrew the comments and said he should not have made them.
{{/usCountry}}Pradhan’s criticism of DMK on Monday during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha when a party lawmaker asked whether it was right to use funds for schools as a tool for revenge against a state government triggered protests. He accused the DMK of doublespeak and said the state had reneged on its decision to implement the centrally sponsored PM SHRI scheme for government schools.
Pradhan called DMK dishonest and accused it of ruining the future of Tamil Nadu students. “Their only job is to raise language concerns. They are not doing justice. They are undemocratic.”
Pradhan and Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin have sparred over the Union government’s decision to hold back ₹2,152 crore of funding under the Samagra Shiksha scheme to the state over the state’s refusal to implement NEP.
The DMK government in Tamil Nadu has accused the Union government of using NEP to impose Hindi through the three-language policy.