The presence of Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in the Rajya Sabha on Friday evoked sharp reactions from Congress members who raised slogans against him and even trooped into Well of House in protest.
Parrikar, who was sworn in as the Goa chief minister earlier this month, walked in during the Zero Hour when Congress member Rajni Patil was about to ask a question.
Immediately, several members including Digvijay Singh, Congress general secretary in-charge of Goa, and B K Hariprasad, were up on their feet shouting slogans. In response, some Bharatiya Janata Party members too stood up and shouted slogans.
Congress has accused the BJP of using unfair means to attain a majority in Goa.
The BJP has rejected the charges saying the Congress did not have the numbers and was only creating hype.
Parrikar took a dig at Digvijaya, saying the latter's incompetence led to the BJP forming the government in the state.
“Of course I thanked Digvijaya (Singh) for letting us form the government. It is because of his incompetence that we formed the government here. He kept roaming around and we formed the government in 48 hours. His own MLA did not have faith in him while we built consensus with the regional parties,” Parrikar told the Rajya Sabha.
As the shouting continued, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien stood up to bring order in the House.
“Please give some respect to the hon’ble lady member,” he said as he asked Patil to raise the issue she had wanted to.
Patil expressed concern about the use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers.
After that, Parrikar stood up for a moment but instantly several Congress members were back to sloganeering.
Several party leaders -- including Rajeev Gowda, Hussain Dalwai as well as Patil -- reached the Well of the House raising slogans against the former defence minister.
Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi took a dig, sarcastically saying that Parrikar had expressed a ‘special thanks’ to Digvijay Singh.
Several BJP members thumped the tables to express support for Parrikar.
Later, Parrikar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Parrikar, who also holds the state’s finance portfolio, will also attend the Goods and Services Tax council meeting, Goa government officials said.
This is his first visit to the national capital after taking charge of the coastal state.
Parrikar had quit as defence minister to head a coalition government of local allies and Independents in the coastal state.
He took oath of office on March 14, three days after the BJP finished second behind the Congress in Goa, in a fractured mandate.
With inputs from ANI.
