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Amidst repeated disruptions in Rajya Sabha by Congress members over Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti’s remarks, Bharatiya Janata Party MPs of the Upper House on Friday gathered before Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Parliament House complex praying for “wisdom” to the protesting members.
Congress and other opposition parties have paralysed the functioning of the Rajya Sabha for the fourth day in a row over the remarks made by the minister at a poll rally earlier this week.
“We have gathered here before Mahatma Gandhi to pray for wisdom to the protesting Congress and other opposition members and help allow smooth functioning of Rajya Sabha. We hope better sense prevails upon Congress and other members,” Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.
He hit out at the Congress for its “height of arrogance” by not setting the matter to rest despite the prime minister making a statement in the House disapproving the remarks.
"This is height of arrogance of the Congress. It is going back on its words as they first wanted the PM to speak on the issue and when he has done so, they are still continuing to disrupt the Upper House,” Naqvi said.
Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot said, “The concerned minister has already offered her regret and the PM has also made a statement. In such a scenario, the matter should have ended, but opposition is continuing to stall proceedings of the Upper House. We pray for wisdom to them to allow the House to function.”
A number of BJP MPs including Vijay Goel, Tarun Vijay, R Ramakrishna and Bimla Kashyap Sood, gathered around the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Parliament soon after the Upper House was adjourned following opposition uproar soon after it met for the day.
Earlier in the day some Congress members led by Rahul Gandhi held a protest wearing black masks around their face outside Parliament House over the controversial comments made by Sadhvi.