NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha on Friday witnessed disruptions amid uproar by members of the ruling BJP over Samajwadi Party leader Ramji Lal Suman’s remarks against Rajput King Rana Sanga demanding an “unqualified apology”.
As soon as the House assembled for the day, BJP members rose on to their feet, shouting slogans and demanding an apology from Suman. Their protests led to an adjournment of the proceeding for nearly 30 minutes.
Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar referred to Rana Sanga as a national hero, who fought valiantly and described the remarks against him as “highly disparaging and objectionable”. He urged members to exercise caution and maintain dignity when speaking on sensitive issues.
Trying to pacify the agitated members Jagdeep Dhankhar asked Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju to intervene and calm the party members.
Rijiju, while condemning Suman’s statement and calling it an insult that was highly objectionable, said he and his party completely agreed to the assertions made by the Chairman.
Then, Leader of the Opposition and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge stated that he and his party respected all patriots who had fought for the country. However, he condemned the attacks on Suman’s house and property, saying, “None have the right to take law and order in their hands and resort to vandalism.” He also warned that such “anti-Dalit actions will not be tolerated”.
However, Kharge’s remarks further aggravated the situation, as ruling BJP members accused Kharge of “unnecessarily bringing caste and Dalit card under play”. BJP MP Radha Mohan Das Agrawal said that Suman had reiterated that he would not retract his statement and would stand by it for life. He called this an insult that would not be tolerated.
Rijiju, while objecting to Kharge’s remarks, said that the attack on Suman’s house was not a caste or religious issue. He condemned Kharge for attempting to frame the controversy in caste terms. Union Minister Piyush Goyal also criticised Kharge for trying to “give a caste twist” to the issue, calling it unacceptable.
Kharge responded by saying that historical figures like Rana Sanga and Maharana Pratap were highly respectable. But he reiterated that violence could not be justified, as the Constitution does not permit it.
At this point, Suman attempted to speak and the chair allowed him to speak, but BJP MPs again started shouting slogans with an intent not to allow the SP leader to speak. Chairman Dhankhar ruled that only Suman’s statement would go on record, but the protests did not cease, which prompted the chair to adjourn the proceedings till Noon.
The controversy surrounding Rana Sanga began after SP MP Suman is a statement termed Rana Sanga, a 16th-century Rajput king, a “traitor” for allegedly bringing Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty, to defeat Ibrahim Lodi.
Following Suman's statement, violence erupted at his residence in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday as unidentified individuals resorted to stone-pelting, smashing window panes, and vandalising vehicles parked outside.
