Congress, RJD walk out of Lok Sabha over Muzaffarpur case
New Delhi, Aug 6: Opposition parties, including Congress and RJD, on Monday staged a walkout in the Lok Sabha demanding a statement from Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Muzaffarpur shelter home rapes, and alleging that evidence had been tampered with.
"Home Minister is here, why he is not replying," Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said in the Lok Sabha soon after the House resumed its business after a brief adjournment on the issue.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said the issue had been raised in the House earlier also and assured the MPs that the CBI inquiry into the matter will be impartial.
He said the MPs' concerns will be brought to the attention of the Home Minister. Not satisfied with his reply, Opposition members, including those from Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal and CPI-M, walked out.
Earlier, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said the government should monitor the CBI inquiry.
The House was earlier adjourned for 15 minutes after Congress member from Bihar's Supaul, Ranjeet Ranjan, came near the Speaker's podium and tore the paper she was holding and threw it towards the chair.
She also threw books from the table of the Lok Sabha Secretary General.
Ranjan alleged that evidence had been tampered with and some of the accused had fled to Nepal. She said the state government did not show seriousness on the issue.
Rashtriya Janata Dal member Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav also expressed his concern.
As many as 34 minor girls were allegedly sexually assaulted in the Balika Grih, a short-stay girls' shelter home run by an NGO in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district.
The shelter home has been sealed after the horror came to light. The state's Social Welfare Department has filed an FIR based on the findings of a social audit conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Mayawati criticises 'hasty' passage of Waqf Bill, says BSP does not support it
Lucknow (PTI): Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Friday criticised the central government for "rushing" the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, saying that the legislation should have been introduced only after addressing people's concerns and clarifying doubts.
Her remarks came after the Rajya Sabha passed the Bill late Thursday night, a day after its approval in the Lok Sabha, where the opposition strongly opposed it.
"After listening to both the ruling party and the opposition in Parliament on the Waqf Amendment Bill, the conclusion is that if the central government had given the public more time to understand the Bill and addressed all their concerns before bringing it forward, it would have been better," Mayawati posted on X in Hindi.
The BSP leader further expressed disappointment over what she termed as the government's "haste" in passing the Bill.
"It is unfortunate that the government hurriedly introduced and passed this Bill, which is not appropriate. Now that it has been passed, if governments misuse it, then the BSP will stand firmly with the Muslim community. In other words, the party does not support this Bill," she added.
