Gujarat Cong woman MP in tears in LS after police assault

A Congress woman MP from Gujarat on Wednesday broke down in the Lok Sabha while mentioning how she was allegedly manhandled by state police in her home constituency during Tuesday's Gujarat Divas celebrations.

The alleged police action against Dahod MP Prabha Kishore Taviad drew sharp condemnation of Gujarat's BJP government by members of non-NDA parties.

The state government rubbished the charges made by Taviad and described them as "baseless", saying the action against her was part of the "administrative process".

Taviad and four party MLAs -- Vaju Panda, Bacchu Kishori, Chandrika Bariya, Dita Macchar -- were detained when they were trying to demonstrate near the venue of the celebrations at Dahod.

In the Lok Sabha, Members of the Left parties, SP, BSP, Trinamool Congress, AIADMK and RJD came together and said swift action was necessary after an anguished Taviad showed bruises sustained on her arms after the alleged police action.

Some members said the matter should be referred to the Privileges Committee and stern action be taken against the guilty.

Girija Vyas (Cong) raised the issue on behalf of Taviad and said the latter was not allowed by the police to attend the Gujarat Divas celebrations at Dahod.

She claimed that Taviad and some Congress MLAs were manhandled by the police and taken 300-400 km away in a police vehicle on Tuesday.

Taviad, according to Vyas, was provided medical help only at 8 pm and later allowed to board a train for Delhi.

Vyas claimed that the MP was pulled by her hair and manhandled. This prompted Congress members to shout 'shame, shame' as their BJP counterparts remained silent.

Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj said since the issue was serious, she would talk to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and get back to the House.

Amid slogan shouting by Congress members, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal suggested that the matter be referred to the Privileges Committee of the House.

Gujarat Health Minister and state spokesperson Jaynarayan Vyas dismissed as baseless the charges.

"The occasion was of Gujarat Day celebrations. The MP was invited to the function. When you are going in the capacity of MP and as an invited guest one should act likewise," Vyas told reporters in Ahmedabad.

As far as her issue of making representation before the chief minister is concerned, that is also baseless because on every Tuesday the CM meets MPs and MLAs, he said.

Although it was not an appropriate forum, despite that the District Collector had told her that if you want to convey something to the CM then hand over the appeal to him, but when it was felt that she is determined to stage a demonstration then the administration had to act, Vyas said.

"I feel it was an administrative process and as part of it the police had to act since it was more or less a compulsion for them," Vyas said.

"Even on 15 August and other 2-3 occassions she had attempted to do such acts (hold demonstrations)," he said.

The state Congress had alleged that they were taken away in a bus to different locations and were manhandled by the police.