Proposed committee of MPs to probe violence in House is hogwash: Cong leader Jaiveer Shergill

Congress leader Jaiveer Shergill on Friday called the proposed inquiry committee of MPs set up to investigate the violent incidents that took place in the House during the monsoon session on August 11 a 'hogwash', and claimed that the committee is not set up for taking responsibility but just for "fixing the opposition".

"The committee that is formed is hogwash. It is a 'fixed match'. It is set up to 'fix the opposition' and not to take responsibility or to be answerable about anything," he said.

Slamming the Centre, Shergill said, "The opposition wants to ask the honourable Chairman of the House when would he set up a committee to investigate BJP's mission of making India "democracy-free". When will that committee be formed against BJP which is cutting roots of India's democracy every day, and is killing the rules set for the procedures of parliament?"

"The truth is that the opposition is not a puppet of BJP which will accept whatever BJP likes and investigates. If talking about issues of fuel price hike, farmers and others issues faced by the common man is a mistake, then they are free to set up as many committees as they want," he added.

Further, he claimed that the opposition would not allow the Parliament of India to turn into BJP's party office. "It is not Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Mann ki Baat studio. It is a temple where Jan ki Baat is raised and opposition will continue to do so," he added.

On August 11, there was turmoil in the Rajya Sabha with the opposition alleging misbehaviour by marshals, while the ruling party alleged violence against parliament staff and others by opposition MPs.

Two Congress women MPs, Phulo Devi and Chayya Varma had alleged that they were manhandled during the ruckus in the House.

As the unemployment rate in India reaches 8.3 per cent, snatching employment of almost 1.9 million Indians in August, according to a survey, Shergill said that this is the misfortune of India. "The BJP government which said "na khaunga, na khane dunga" has started to eat away the jobs of Indians. The stats are proof that BJP is not a government that provides jobs but the one which snatches it away," he said.

"Only the lock makers are happy in this regime since all other businesses are being shut. The truth of the matter is that the BJP government is suffocating the Indian economy, thanks to mismanagement and mishandling," he added.

( With inputs from ANI )