Rajya Sabha ruckus: Congress MPs Chhaya Verma, Phulo Devi get emotional

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], August 18 (ANI): Two Congress Rajya Sabha MPs Chhaya Verma and Phulo Devi Netam broke down while addressing media over ruckus in Parliament that took place on August 11.

Phulo Devi Netam alleged that male marshals manhandled women MPs in Rajya Sabha and disrespected women as both MPs broke down in the press conference on Wednesday.

CCTV footage of the ruckus between Opposition MPs and marshals in the Upper House had emerged on August 12. In the video footage, marshals can be seen forming a human shield to block Opposition MPs from going towards the Chairman's podium. Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned sine die on Wednesday, two days before the scheduled end of the session.

Speaking on Wednesday, Phulo Devi Netam said, "We were raising issues related to Chhattisgarh and other important issues. To suppress our voice, marshals were deployed in Rajya Sabha. As you must have seen, male marshals manhandled women MPs and disrespected women."

While Chhaya Verma said, "I want to tell what actually happened inside Rajya Sabha. BJP is spreading a false narrative against us and the Congress party. Since the first day of the monsoon session, opposition parties had demanded a debate on Pegasus, inflation, fuel price hike, three farm laws and other issues."

Verma added, "It was decided that once the Constitution 127th Amendment Bill, 2021, is passed, the House will be adjourned for the day on August 11. Later, they asked us to wait for 10 minutes. Within 10 minutes, entire marshals deployed at Parliament (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) were brought inside the Rajya Sabha. In the well, there were 42 marshals. Without informing, the government tabled Life Insurance Corporation Bill, which is a finance bill. If the government tables such important without informing the opposition, then we will oppose it."

She further alleged, "As all the women MPs were in the front row of the well to protest against the Life Insurance Corporation Bill, the male marshals pushed women marshals and we fell down. Phulo Devi got injured in this ruckus." (ANI)