'CPI MP Kareem Held Marshal's Neck...': RS Report Reveals Ugly Details of Who Did What

Rajya Sabha on Wednesday witnessed ugly scenes and an unprecedented security staff deployment inside the chamber to prevent them. Ending on a stormy note, the Upper House saw members climbing on tables, tearing papers, jostling with the marshals and attempting to go near the presiding officer’s chair. In a report by the Rajya Sabha secretariat, shocking allegations were made against the MPs. While CPI leader Elamaran Kareem was reported to have manhandled and severely choked the neck of a male marshal, Chhattisgarh Congress MPs Phulo Devi Netam and Chhaya Verma were accused of hurting a woman security official.

After a peaceful debate and the smooth passage of a bill to restore the states’ powers to identify and notify their own lists of OBCs, all hell broke loose when the insurance amendment bill to privatise the state-run general insurance companies was taken up. Calling it a sell-off, the Opposition MPs stormed into the Well of the House shouting anti-government slogans. They were, however, prevented from going anywhere near the table of the House or the chair by a wall of about 50 security staff that sort of cordoned off what Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu referred to as the “sanctum sanctorum”.

A cross-gender staff deployment — female officers where male MPs were protesting and male officers where female MPs were protesting — was made. But this did not deter the MPs belonging to a cross-section of opposition parties — from the Congress to the Left to the TMC and to the DMK.

Here’s what the incident report said about the Hon’ble Members’ actions:

– Dola Sen of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) put the hanging loop made up of fabric/scarf (resembling noose) around the neck of a fellow MP Shanta Chhetri in the gangway and held the other end of loop in her hand and shouted slogans. Sen further obstructed the way of and pushed BJP MPs Piyush Goyal and Prahlad Joshi coming from the chairman’s chamber to take their respective seats. She also argued and pushed women officials of Parliament Security Service (PSS). She further displayed the loop high in the air that was worn by Shanta Chhetri. Later, holding a rope in her hand with the other end of rope loop tied around Shanta Chhetri, Sen climbed on front row seat.

– Chhattisgarh Congress MPs Phulo Devi Netam and Chhaya Verma tore papers and threw them towards the Table of the House. Later Congress’ Syed Nasir Hussain, TMC’s Arpita Ghosh and Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi followed suit.

– CPI leaders Binoy Viswam, Elamaram Kareem, Congress’ Rajmani Patel and Shiv Sena’s Anil Desai snatched papers/ folders kept on the Table of the House.

– Congress leader Akhilesh Prasad Singh made video of the security staff and the Table.

– Congress MP Syed Nasir Hussain pushed Sanjay Raut towards security officials cordoning the Table and subsequently pilled him back. They were joined by Elamaran Kareem, Ripun Bora, Binoy Vishwam and Akhilesh Prasad Singh.

– Congress MP Ripun Bora climbed on the LED TV stand installed on the left side of the Chair.

– Elamaran Kareem manhandled and severely choked the neck of a male marshal. He also dragged the security official in order to break the cordon.

– Phulo Devi and Chhaya Verma also pulled and dragged a woman marshal and assaulted her.

– TMC MP Derek O’ Brien shot a video.

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