Opposition walkout after BJP MP withdraws question on Indias forensic capabilities
NEW DELHI: Opposition parties led by the Congress on Wednesday staged a walkout in the Rajya Sabha after a BJP MP withdrew a question he had originally posed to Home Minister Amit Shah on strengthening the countrys forensic capabilities. BJP MP Adiya Prasad had submitted the question as a Starred Question, which normally requires the minister to answer orally and allows MPs to ask immediate follow-up questions. According to the official Question List on the Rajya Sabha website, Prasads question was listed as Question No. 2 for Wednesdays Question Hour. However, a correction note later stated that the question should be treated as withdrawn. When Chairman CP Radhakrishnan skipped the question, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and other Opposition MPs demanded to know why the question had been withdrawn. The Chairman responded firmly, saying, You know the rules. Rule 53 permits a member to withdraw any question as he likes. He added, You can also withdraw if you want. I cannot interfere in the rights of the members.As Opposition MPs continued to press for an explanation, he told them they had no right to raise it. He also rejected their repeated request to ask the concerned MP to put the question. Why do I have to tell? I have no right to tell, he said. He then ordered that nothing said by the Opposition on the issue would go on record and asked them not to disturb the Question Hour. Frustrated with the response, the Opposition staged a walkout. Prasads withdrawn question had sought to know if the government is expanding Central Forensic Science Laboratories to collect evidence as mandated under the new criminal laws.
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