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This is an archive article published on May 6, 2003

Question Hour turns Zero Hour

Almost 30 minutes of Question Hour in the Lok Sabha was virtually converted to Zero Hour today, thanks to Leader of Opposition Sonia Gandhi...

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Almost 30 minutes of Question Hour in the Lok Sabha was virtually converted to Zero Hour today, thanks to Leader of Opposition Sonia Gandhi8217;s intervention.

As the House assembled at 11 am, several members trooped into the Well of the House, raising different issues. Buta Singh led Congress MPs who shouted about atrocities against Dalits in Haryana and CPIM MPs from Kerala cried hoarse over the Marad killings.

Speaker Manohar Joshi said he was not going to suspend Question Hour and asked the members to go back to their seats. At this point, Sonia said the issue being raised by Buta was one of 8216;8216;great urgency8217;8217;.

8216;8216;We want to speak on the issue now,8217;8217; she said. That seemed to have an immediate effect, and Joshi allowed Buta to have his say.

Buta referred to a February incident when Dalits, who were celebrating Guru Ravi Das8217; birth anniversary, were attacked in Kaithal. He accused Haryana of shielding the culprits. Mulayam Singh Yadav got up to support Buta and added 8216;8216;we also have a problem in UP8217;8217;. He then described how SP offices were raided despite an Allahabad HC stay order. No sooner had he finished than V. Radhakrishnan CPI-M raised the Marad killings followed by Ram Vilas Paswan who demanded the Government send a senior leader to visit the ailing Savita Ambedkar.

When Swami Chinmayananda BJP also started speaking on the Kerala killings, Joshi said, 8216;8216;You8217;re in the ruling party, at least you must cooperate.8217;8217; Thereafter, the Question Hour began, 25 minutes behind schedule.

 

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