New Delhi: The insider versus outsider debate reached Parliament on Monday, with demands that MNS chief Raj Thackeray be detained under MCOCCA leading to pandemonium and ultimately, adjournment of Lok Sabha.
Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee adjourned the House after failing to pacify some MPs who were demanding an explanation from the home minister on the violence against north Indians in Maharashtra.
Members from JD(U), RJD and Samajwadi Party - most of them hailing from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh - expressed concern over the attack on North Indians in Maharashtra and said it “posed threat to national unity and integrity.”
The MPs shouted slogans and demanded an explanation from union Home Minister Shivraj Patil on why the union government had failed to take action.
The issue also led to an impromptu discussion during Question Hour, as Prabhunath Singh of JD(U) insisted that he wanted to raise the matter and he had given a notice for suspension of Question Hour.
Accusing the state government and the Centre of not taking prompt action against Thackeray, he said the MNS chief should be booked under MCOCCA.
Among the prominent leaders who were present in the House during the discussion were Union Ministers Lalu Prasad and Sharad Pawar.
"In 1966, when Bal Thackeray made similar comments, a case was filed against him under Sections 153 and 153-A. Raj Thackeray was arrested and taken to court in a procession and then he is free. Is this how law is enforced?" Singh was quoted as saying by agencies.
RJD leader Devendra Yadav termed the Maharashtra scenario as an "extraordinary situation" and said it was unfortunate that such “divisive activities” were taking place in the same state that produced personalities like B R Ambedkar, Lata Mangeshkar, Jyotiba Phule, Sharad Pawar and Madhu Dandavate.
"Central government should intervene in the matter. The law of the land should prevail. The matter should be referred to the Election Commission and MNS should be banned. Those guilty should also be banned," he said.
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Shiv Sena leader Anant Gite tried to downplay the issue and said it has been exaggerated and that north Indians in Mumbai and other parts of the state were not under threat.
However, his statements added fuel to fire with noisy protests from several members, leading to an abrupt adjournment of the House for 10 minutes.
But when it reconvened, the MPs did not pay heed to the speaker's requests to calm down.
Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, who since morning was unhappy with the demeanour of the Members, strongly denounced the statements and said they were intended to divide the country. "I cannot be party to it. I express my strong disapproval," he said.
Chatterjee then adjourned the house till 1400 hrs (IST).
In February, members of Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) took to the streets and attacked north Indians working in Mumbai. One person had died and several were injured in the vandalism that continued for a few days before the Maharashtra government could control it.
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