Opp grills BJP for NHRC jibe, Agro MoS for ignorance

He said: ‘‘Their conduct should be condemned by the House. They should apologise for criticising the Commission.’’

Several Opposition members got up in his support. They were challenged by BJP members who almost shouted him down. Congress deputy leader Shivraj Patil sought a categorical answer from Malhotra whether or not he had called the NHRC anti-Hindu. Malhotra maintained he had only stated that the ‘‘perception of people is that the NHRC is anti-Hindu’’. He admitted that he had stated that the NHRC petition was against the federal structure of the country and it would send out a wrong signal.

A combined Opposition also took on MoS for Agro and Rural Industries Minister Sangh Priya Gautam as he struggled to field a volley of supplementaries from members during question hour. The Opposition, charging the Government with a ‘‘near failure’’ in generating rural employment, alleged that the minister was not replying to their pointed questions. The Opposition members wanted to know the measures taken by the Government for the revival of closed and sick rural and semi-rural industries and the steps taken to encourage entrepreneurs to modernise and expand their units.

The Opposition protested that the minister was not replying to their questions while Gautam contended that some of their questions did not pertain to his ministry. Patil argued that it was the duty of the minister to come prepared even if he had to obtain some inputs from another ministry. Speaker Manohar Joshi intervened to say that ‘‘the minister is trying to reply to members’ questions to the best of his ability. Still if the members are not satisfied, they can raise a discussion. I can permit a half-an-hour discussion’’.

Gautam said his ministry was in the process of taking a ‘‘historic step’’ which would facilitate the extension of a group insurance cover to nearly four lakh khadi workers. Out of this, three lakh would be covered from the first year while the rest over a period of next three years. The Opposition sought a reply to a specific question on Gujarat which the minister did not answer.