Opp wants TMC MP's apology for slur

New Delhi: The opposition on Tuesday threatened to stall the proceedings of the Lok Sabha till Trinamool Congress member Sudip Bandyopadhyay tendered his apology for using unparliamentary language against veteran Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) MP Basudeb Acharia.

"The Trinamool MP must tender an apology in the house. Otherwise, the opposition will not allow the house to function," said Gopinath Munde, the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) deputy leader in the Lok Sabha.

There was an unruly scene in the Lok Sabha during zero hour, after Bandyopadhyay used unparliamentary language against Acharia when the house was discussing the Mumbai suburban railway drivers' strike.

Munde also said the government should make a statement on the railway drivers strike in the house on Tuesday itself.

The Mumbai railway workers's strike led to unruly scenes in the Lok Sabha Tuesday when Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay used unparliamentary language against veteran Communist MP Basudeb Acharia during zero hour.

The whole house was stunned for a moment and central ministers Ambika Soni, Pawan Kumar Bansal and other ministers and MPs from the treasury benches tried to pacify Bandyopadhyay.

Protesting the remark against their leader, Left MPs, including Ramachandra Dome, M.B. Rajesh and P.K. Biju, rushed towards the Trinamool MP.

But other oppostion members prevented the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) MPs from advancing towards Bandyopadhyay. The latter was protectively surrounded by ministers and Congress MPs.

Amid the ruckus, Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the house till 2 p.m., a second adjournment in the day.

It all happened at the end of a brief discussion on the railway workers' strike in Mumbai. MPs, cutting across party lines, blamed Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee's railway ministry for the strike, which has paralysed train services in Mumbai. Banerjee was not present in the house.

Bandyopadhyay, during discussion, said his leader was "pro-people". He said she could not come to the house as she was busy filing the nominations of her party workers for the civic polls in West Bengal.

Referring to the Maharashtra government's decision Tuesday to impose the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) on striking Mumbai train drivers, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Gurudas Das Gupta asked: "Who has given the order to impose ESMA on the agitating workers in Mumbai? ESMA will not be tolerated?"

He also said the house wanted to know whether it was the home minister or the railway minister who issued the order to impose ESMA.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said the minister was not in Delhi and he would contact her at the earliest and that a statement on the protest would be made in the house.

When Bansal was replying, CPI-M MP Acharia intervened and asked: "What about ESMA being imposed on the agitating workers in Mumbai?"

That is when Bandyopadhyay shouted at him and used unparliamentary words, leading to unruly scenes in the house. Acharia calmly sat in his seat as his colleagues protested.

Earlier, Shiv Sena leader Anant Geete, after a protest by party MPs, said: "Mumbai is paralysed. The city is on the verge of a riot."

He said "life should be brought to normal in the city immediately". He also demanded a statement from the railway minister.

Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam said: "It is a big strike." He also asked the government to take the matter seriously. "The entire system has collapsed and the workers' demands should be addressed."

Opposition MPs welcomed the statement from Nirupam, who is from Mumbai.

Besides Dasgupta and Acharia, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) deputy leader Gopinath Munde and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad also criticised the government's attitude and asked Railway Minister Banerjee to resolve the issue.