Lathi-charge: Huge victory for Oppn, awaits Amit Shah's statement

CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar called it a 'huge victory' for the Opposition after the Rajya Sabha Chair asked the government to convey their demand for Home Minister Amit Shah to make a statement in Parliament on the alleged July 20 lathi-charge incident.

CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar on Thursday termed it a "huge victory" for the entire Opposition after the Rajya Sabha Chair directed Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to convey the Opposition's demand to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to make a statement in Parliament on the alleged July 20 lathi-charge incident. He said the Opposition had been consistently seeking Shah's response and was now awaiting the Home Minister's reply.

Speaking to ANI here, Kumar said the opposition had been consistently pressing for Shah's statement in Parliament and was now awaiting the Home Minister's response. "It's a huge victory for the entire opposition. We were continuously demanding that Amit Shah should come and make a statement on the 20th July lathi charge... Now, finally, the Chair directed Rijiju to convey the feelings of the opposition to the Home Minister... We are eagerly waiting for that reply," the CPI MP said.

The opposition has been demanding a statement from the Union Home Minister over the alleged July 20 lathi-charge incident, while the government is yet to respond on the issue.

'Want House to run peacefully': Kharge

Meanwhile, Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday urged the government to ensure that the Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses Parliament over the police action on July 20 protests, saying the Opposition wants the House to function smoothly but expects the government to respond to the concerns raised.

Speaking to reporters here, Kharge said the Rajya Sabha Chairman had asked Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to ensure the Home Minister came to the House and made a statement on the matter. "This is a simple request, and it is well within the government's control. Why they are not present is still unknown. The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha told the Parliamentary Affairs Minister that the Home Minister should come to the House and speak on this incident. Rijiju alone does not have the authority to resolve the issue. He only conveys the matter, and then the issue fizzles out," Kharge said.

He alleged that Opposition leaders were not being allowed to raise points of order in the House. "When I raise a point of order, I am not allowed to speak. We want the House to run peacefully, and for that, the Home Minister should make a statement in the House. Instead of asking students to seek forgiveness, the government should apologise to the students and their families," he said.

Asked whether the Opposition's demand was non-negotiable, Kharge said the next course of action would depend on the government's response. "It depends on when the Home Minister comes to the House and what statement he makes. Even the Prime Minister should come to the House and apologise. Such a serious incident has taken place, and yet the Home Minister has not made a statement," he said. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)