Swamy provokes Cong again

Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 28

Subramaniun Swamy of the BJP kept the Congress members in the Rajya Sabha agitated for the second day today. He made some uncharitable comments that lead to a ruckus in the House. The Chair immediately expunged the remarks and warned Swamy of action for “unnecessarily provoking” members on the other side.

Yesterday also, the House had to be adjourned twice after he took name of Congress president Sonia Gandhi in reference to the AgustaWestland scam. Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien, who was in the Chair at that time, expunged Swamy’s comments and warned him of action for unnecessary provocation. “You are unnecessarily provoking others. Don’t do this. Sit down,” Kurien told Swamy.

While expunging Swamy’s reference to the Constitution of another country, Kurien also ordered the media not to report the remarks.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said, “We had no objections to Swamy’s clarification. We have a problem with his reference. It is only his second day, and in two days you have expunged (him) twice. How many times are you going to expunge his words? He doesn’t know the difference between street words and parliamentary words.”

Jairam Ramesh of the Congress joined ranks with Azad and said, “In the process of making a clarification, Swamy needlessly and provocatively brought into reference the constitution of a European country. It is needless and deliberate.”