MP Speaker shedding crocodile tears, says Cong

Congress on Thursday dubbed as 'crocodile tears' rolling down the eyes of a ruling Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Legislative Assembly Lalita Yadav and Madhya Pradesh Assembly Speaker Ishwardas Rohani in the House on Wednesday evening, over an alleged 'indecent' remark by a Congress member against her.

Lalita, who is a MLA from Chhattarpur, had complained against the Congress member in the assembly and also in Rohani's chamber on Wednesday, following which the latter also became 'emotional'.

She said that Congress MLAs had made 'objectionable remarks' when she was coming to the House. However, Congress legislators including party MLA Kalpana Parulekar said that the issue was being blown out of proportion.

Congress MLAs wearing white coats -- highlighting various issues like power and water crisis, corruption, atrocities against women, law and order problems among others plaguing the state -- raised slogans like 'Ghariali ansoo bahana band karo' (stop shedding crocodile tears) to counter the BJP.

Following this, there were cries of 'shame shame' from BJP members. Later, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan moved a censure resolution against the Congress members, which was passed by a voice vote. Speaking to reporters, Parulekar demanded to know why the Speaker did he not cry when double-meaning remarks were passed in the House against women members.

"Why did he (Rohani) not react in the same manner when women MLAs Pushpa Bharti and Kalyani Pande were humiliated in the House earlier by Gopal Bhargava and Babulal Gaur and why did they not bring a censure motion at that time," she asked.

Parulekar also reminded the saffron party of the treatment meted out to former state chief minister Uma Bharti and said "they are enjoying the sweets of her sweat."

She alleged that the remark against the woman MLA was passed in the morning and the matter was raised in the evening, which smacks of a plan to divert people's attention.