DMK MP Tiruchi Siva reiterates opposition's demand, insists Amit Shah's statement in House

New Delhi [India], December 21 : Amid the ongoing suspension spree of opposition MPs in Parliament, DMK's Tiruchi Siva criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his silence on the security breach incident that happened in Lok Sabha on December 13 while reiterating the opposition's demand that Shah issue a statement in House.
"We were demanding the statement from the Home Minister about the incident that happened on December 13. More than a week has gone by, he didn't come to the Parliament, he didn't respond," MP Siva said.
Highlighting the absence of opposition in the House when the Home Minister came yesterday and their attempts in the Rajya Sabha to raise the issue, where they were ignored, Siva stressed the parliamentary convention against making statements outside the House during sessions.
"In the Lok Sabha when he came, there was no opposition. Today in Rajya Sabha, when he came to move his bill (law bill), we were there and we raised this: since the Home Minister is very much in the House, why don't you make the statement that he made outside the House? So the convention is that when the Parliament is in session, no announcement or no statement should be made outside the House," he added.
He urged the Home Minister to break the silence within the parliamentary session and have the statement recorded and authorised.
"Since he has come, let him make the statement; let it be recorded, authorised, unauthenticated. That is all we demand. But our voices were not heard as always," Siva said while speaking to ANI.
Siva further cited instances where opposition voices were stifled, with mics switched off and Sansad TV cameras neglecting their side. He criticised the current parliamentary procedures, claiming they favour the Treasury benches and sideline opposition parties.
"It's been a week; our mics are switched off and the camera on Sansad TV doesn't turn to our sides. The Sansad TV as well as the procedures that are going on are not at all accommodating the Opposition parties. Our voices are not heard. The floor is only given to treasury benches. Our genuine demands are not heard at all," he said.
"So what we demand is that these statements come from the Home Minister in the House," he added.
Earlier in the day, three Congress MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha for the remainder of the winter session for their "unruly behaviour."
Three Congress MPs DK Suresh, Deepak Baij and Nakul Nath, were suspended from the Lok Sabha, taking the total number of members of the Lower House against whom such action has been taken to 100.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved a motion for the suspension of DK Suresh, Deepak Baij and Nakul Nath.
This brings the total number of members suspended from both houses of Parliament to 146.
The security breach happened on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack on December 13. Two people--Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D--jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour, released yellow gas from canisters and shouted anti-establishment slogans before being overpowered by the MPs.
Outside parliament, in another incident, two protestors--Neelam (42) and Amol (25)--protested outside the Parliament with similar gas canisters. However, all four, facing charges under the anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, were sent to seven-day custody of the Delhi Police Special Cell on December 14, which is set to expire today. The Delhi Police is likely to seek further custody of the accused.
Following the incident, Delhi Police also arrested two more people, namely Lalit Jha and Mahesh Kumawat. On December 15, a Delhi court sent Lalit Jha to 7-day police custody for his sustained custodial interrogation.