For a while, as the winter session got under way on Monday, it seemed as if the new Lok Sabha chamber had become the venue for a BJP parliamentary party meeting. The house echoed with loud and sustained sloganeering and clapping by BJP members, hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the BJP’s victory in the three heartland states in a manner seldom seen inside the House.

Basking in the glory of the BJP’s electoral sweep on Sunday, Modi stepped inside the House with folded hands to greet the lawmakers; most BJP members leapt to their feet in choreographed fashion and began to applaud and chant slogans. “Ek hi guarantee, Modi ki guarantee (Only one guarantee, Modi’s guarantee)” and “Baar baar Modi, teesri baar Modi (Each time Modi, third time Modi)”.

Addressing election rallies in the states, the PM had repeatedly raised the “Modi ki guarantee” slogan; here were his parliamentary colleagues parroting the chant in unison.

Modi walked to his front-row seat as the sloganeering continued and sat along with three senior party leaders, defence minister Rajnath Singh, home minister Amit Shah and transport minister Nitin Gadkari. The sloganeering continued for nearly five minutes as the Opposition members, including former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, seated across the floor, watched silently and stopped only after Speaker Om Birla arrived to commence the day’s proceedings at 11am.

What followed from here, after the customary obituary references, were shouts by an Opposition MP highlighting the “insult” and “pain” the sanctum sanctorum of the temple of democracy had suffered during the last special session and asking why no action had been taken so far. Modi was seen promptly leaving the House at this
point.

BSP MP Danish Ali stood up with two placards hanging from his neck. “Humiliation of an MP is an insult to Parliament” and “Punish Bidhuri, Save Democracy”, the black and white placards read.

Ali referred to what had happened on the last day of the four-day special session back in September in the new Parliament building inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi.

During a discussion in the House, the BJP MP from south Delhi, Ramesh Bidhuri, hurled low communal slurs against the BSP MP from Amroha in Uttar Pradesh. The expletives flung at Danish Ali were so flagrant that they had to be expunged from the Lok Sabha’s records. Through the placards, Danish reminded the House of the insult he had been subjected to, while senior BJP MPs laughed, and questioned the absence of any action against Bidhuri.

He stood beside his seat and then walked up to the edge of the Well of the House raising his voice and demanding action, all the time stressing that BJP member Bidhuri had “insulted” the House. “The country’s democracy has been shamed. This House has been insulted. It is not my insult but an insult to this House,” he said.

Danish’s complaint is pending before the Privileges Committee of the Lok Sabha. The committee so far has not recorded the statement of Bidhuri. It is expected that the committee will meet on December 7 and Bidhuri could be summoned to give his version.

In contrast, in the case of Trinamul MP Mahua Moitra, accused of accepting cash for questions, the Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha swiftly held meetings and is ready with a report to recommend her expulsion.

Ali’s conduct was met with angry and strong words from Speaker Birla, who rapped him for violating rules by coming to the House with placards.

“It is against the rules to come to this House with placards. I want to urge you to leave the House,” the Speaker said, stressing that he will not allow placards in the Parliament building. After repeatedly urging the BSP member to leave, he adjourned the House till noon.

Modi taunts

Before the Parliament proceedings began, Modi in his usual one-way statement to the media sought to taunt the Opposition, saying that they should “not vent frustration over the Assembly polls defeat inside Parliament and move forward leaving behind negativity”.

Modi sought to give sermons to the Opposition that the “temple of democracy”, as he refers to Parliament, was an important platform to realise people’s aspirations and urged all MPs to come prepared and hold thorough discussions on bills.

“If I speak on the basis of the Assembly poll results, this is a golden opportunity for friends in the Opposition. Instead of making plans for venting frustration over defeat, they should learn from this defeat, leaving behind the habit of negativity. If they move forward with positivity this session, the country will change its perspective towards them. A new door could open for them,” Modi said. “They are in the Opposition but still I am giving them good advice.”