BSP rocks Rajya Sabha over Rohith suicide case

Earlier, when the House reassembled for the second time in the post-lunch session, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi appealed to the Opposition to let the RS function and take up other legislation if discussion on the JNU or Hyderabad University was not possible. He opposed disruption of Parliamentary proceedings.

When Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien asked CPM leader Sitaram Yechury to speak on the issue for which he had given notice, Ms Mayawati rose to her feet asking for a reply from the Government on her one-point demand that that the panel should have a Dalit Member and accused the government of not giving a straight-forward answer. She wanted that the Rohith Vemula death case not be clubbed with the JNU sedition case, asserting that the two issues were equally important. “Today we will not allow discussion unless the government gives a reply on this issue. I have already given notice.”

However, the BSP leader was informed by Mr Kurien that she needed to give another notice for the discussion, the first being only for suspension of Question Hour. Union minister Prakash Javadekar could be seen standing but what he said was drowned in the uproar. 

Mr Yechury said he supported her demand for a discussion on Thursday and asked why the government  was keeping quiet and not reassuring Ms Mayawati on her demand.  Congress Leader of the Opposition Ghulam  Nabi Azad also supported the BSP leader’s demand saying Rohith’s suicide was a national issue and did not want the issue to be diluted. 

At this, Ms Irani, sought to intervene expressing her willingness to answer any question the Opposition posed to her. Finding few takers for her suggestion, she asked ‘whether they were signalling to the nation that the judge’s capacity to deliver justice could be questioned amid uproar in the House. Ms Mayawati retorted to the Minister saying that on Dalit matters did the nation need a signal. “If the PM was here then he would have agreed for a discussion. They are very fearful -- that means the PM has not given a signal.”