New Delhi, December 3
[dropcap color=”#008040″ boxed=”yes” boxed_radius=”8px” class=”” id=””]E[/dropcap]xternal Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj – one of the senior most BJP leaders — faced a major embarrassment in Rajya Sabha when Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi cut her short midway through her speech on a calling attention on the Nepal situation.
Sushma was five minutes into her speech, which was being heard with rapt attention in the house, when Naqvi interrupted her and requested Deputy Chairman of the House AJ Kurien to allow Home minister Rajnath Singh to make a statement on Chennai flood situation. As a red-faced Sushma looked askance at the Chair, Naqvi again said that Rajnath should be allowed to speak on the flood situation.
This created a furor in the house and the Opposition members were up on their feet with the Congress MPs leading the charge. Deputy leader of the Congress in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma pointed out that once the discussion on the Calling attention motion had started, it could not be kept in abeyance to allow another minister to give a statement.
[dropcap color=”#008040″ boxed=”yes” boxed_radius=”8px” class=”” id=””]W[/dropcap]hile most opposition parties backed Sharma, the DMK members demanded that the Home minister should be allowed to give his statement on Chennai flood.
When Sushma resumed speaking, the chair directed her to lay the statement and allow the members opportunity to go through it. The discussion will now resume next week.
The incident showed how Sushma, whose ministry is virtually run by the Prime Minster office, is treated with scant respect by even the junior minister of the Modi government.
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