The Opposition on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi government of monopolising even mourning after floor leaders of non-NDA parties were denied permission in the Rajya Sabha to pay tributes to Gen. Bipin Rawat and the 12 others who died with him in a helicopter crash on Wednesday.
The Opposition, which had in the morning itself suspended their ongoing protest in the Upper House and outside as a mark of respect to India’s first Chief of Defence Staff and the other military personnel who died, wanted to offer tributes in the House. However, their request was turned down by Deputy Chairman Harivansh on the premise that he had spoken for the entire House when he made the obituary reference at the start of proceedings.
After defence minister Rajnath Singh made his statement in the Upper House on the chopper crash, leader of the Opposition and Congress veteran Mallikarjun Kharge sought time from the Chair for the floor leaders of every party to offer tributes to CDS Rawat and the others who died with him. His party colleague, Anand Sharma, urged the government through the leader of the House to agree to the Opposition request but to no avail.
The Trinamul Congress walked out in protest over the denial of permission to the Opposition to pay respects to the deceased soldiers.
“Extremely APPALLING that Opposition Rajya Sabha MPs were not allowed to condole the tragic death of CDS and 12 others on record and stand in solidarity with this nation in this hour of grief,” Trinamul said in a tweet. The party’s new MP, Sushmita Dev, said: “Mourning is also monopolised by this regime.”
Later, Kharge — while briefing the media — said what transpired in the Rajya Sabha in the morning had shown that not only on political issues, but even on national and bipartisan issues the government was unwilling to allow the Opposition any space. “If we are not allowed to even pay tributes in the House, then tell us what kind of a democracy is this,” he said.
Having decided not to protest inside and outside the House on Thursday over the suspension of 12 MPs as a mark of respect to the CDS and the 12 others, the Opposition did not disrupt proceedings in the Rajya Sabha all day.
The decision to hold fire for a day had been taken on Wednesday evening after informal consultations between Opposition leaders and finalised at their morning meeting before the start of proceedings on Thursday.
The Opposition leaders converged near the Gandhi statue — where the 12 suspended MPs sit in protest while the House is in session — observed a minute’s silence for the dead and decided to wind up the dharna for the day. All that was left behind were their protest placards stuck between flowerpots. A new placard was added on Thursday that said: “`We Mourn The Death of CDS and Brave Soldiers.”
