ME News Bureau: New Delhi: The Opposition party members were unanimous in interrupting proceedings in the Rajya Sabha in protest against controversial comments allegedly made by Anant Kumar Hegde, Minister of State (MoS) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, on changing the Constitution’s focus on secularism.
Members of the Congress, SP and BSP parties moved to the Well of the House shouting slogans demanding removal of Hegde and compelling M Venkaiah Naidu, Rajya Sabha Chairman, to adjourn the proceedings till 12 noon.
The issue began during the laying of the official papers on the House’s table as opposition members shouted "shame, shame" when Hegde, rose to lay the papers listed against his name.
Ghulam Nabi Azad, senior Congress leader and the Leader of the Opposition (LoP), sought a clarification from Hegde as he could leave the House soon after laying papers.
In this context, Hegde sat in the House for some time listening to opposition protests against his controversial statement that the BJP would change the Constitution by excluding Secularism from the preamble. He left the House thereafter.
Azad asked if the minster has any right to remain as one if he does not respect the Constitution? He stated, “Minister who has no faith in the Constitution has no right to be a minister. He has no right to be a Member of Parliament."
Sukhendu Sekhar Roy of Trinamool Congress said secularism is engraved in the preamble of the Constitution and asked if a minister is allowed to denounce the same preamble brazenly.
Naresh Agarwal of the SP stated the Constitution is the Ramayana and Gita of democracy and any minister who insults it and its founder BR Ambedkar should be removed.
Naidu, at this juncture, interluded and asked members not to bring BR Ambedkar into the controversy. But the opposition members remained insistent and marched into the well raising slogans.
