India / Footage of Parliament ruckus released, video shows female guard being manhandled

New Delhi: Wednesday was an unusual day in Parliament when hell broke out in the Rajya Sabha. Opposition parties and the Centre have blamed one another for the commotion in the Rajya Sabha.

Both sides have demanded enquiry into the matter with the Opposition alleging that “outsiders” were brought in Parliament who “thrashed” MPs. However, Union Minister Piyush Goyal refuted these allegations and said no outsider was brought in when a scuffle broke out in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Now, the government sources have released a video of the incident in a bid to ‘expose’ the Opposition.

In the video, protesting MPs including women members, and lady marshals could be seen involved in a scuffle. However, it's not yet clear whether a woman marshal was pulling a woman MP or was it vice versa.

The ugly scene unfolded while several other members stood in a cluster, shouting slogans in the Rajya Sabha.

The video further shows some MPs tearing papers and lofting the pieces towards the chair. Later, a person can also be seen storming the well of the house and climbing onto a table while other MPs held him from behind.

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE RAJYA SABHA?

High drama ensued in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday when some Opposition MPs jostled with the marshals. They allegedly tore papers and lofted those towards the chair and the House officers. Some tried to break the cordon and jostled with the security staff.

The opposition MPs also stormed into the Well of the House shouting anti-government slogans.

TIMELINE OF EVENTS AS PER GOVT SOURCES:

6.02 pm: TMC MP Dola Sen continuously shouts "democracy killed' in the Well of the House

6.22 pm: Dola Sen pushes and obstructs the way of leader of the House and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi

6.26 pm: MPs Naseer Hussain and Arpita Ghosh, and Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi tear papers in the Well of the House

6.33 pm: Assam Congress MLA Ripun Bora climbs on a marshal and tries to reach the chair

6.31 pm: P Devi Netam and Chhaya Verma, both from the Chattishgarh Congress, push and drag a lady marshal

6.40 pm: TMC leader Derek O'Brien records the proceedings of the House

7.04 pm: Point of order was raised by the Leader of the Opposition. After that, all opposition party leaders walk out

7.05 pm: Arpita Ghosh, M Noor and Dola Sen stand in the first row of the benches

WHAT GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION SAID?

The pandemonium triggered a war of words between the government and the Opposition. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi alleged that the Opposition members manhandled marshals amid rumpus in the Rajya Sabha. The Opposition countered saying the marshals assaulted the protesting MPs.

Pralhad Joshi termed the Opposition's allegations "totally false" and said one can check facts from CCTV (close-circuit television) footage.

"The Opposition is spreading lies. Marshals can't dare to touch MPs. They can't even think about it. The CCTV footage will establish that they are lying," Pralhad Joshi was quoted by PTI as saying.

Meanwhile, some women MPs of the Rajya Sabha belonging to the Congress alleged that they were manhandled by male marshals while they were protesting in the well of the house.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the incident was "nothing short of murder of democracy".

"For the first time in the history of our country, members of the Rajya Sabha were manhandled and physically beaten. This was nothing short of murder of democracy," Rahul Gandhi said.

NCP leader Sharad Pawar said that in his 55 years of being in Parliament, he had never seen women MPs being attacked in the Rajya Sabha before Wednesday.