Janjivan Bureau / New Delhi : The Congress along with other opposition parties on Tuesday staged protest against the government over withdrawal of SPG security cover of Gandhi family and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Soon after the House assembled for the day, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury raised the issue but Lok Sabha Speaker did not allow him to speak.
Congress leaders then trooped near speaker’s podium sloganeering “stop politics in the name of security”, “stop dictatorship”, “Prime Minister reply”, “we want justice”. They were later joined by MPs of Dravina Munetra Kajhgam and National Conference.
Earlier, Chowdhury gave an adjournment notice in the Lok Sabha on the Home Ministry’s move to remove the special protection from the Gandhi family, including Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and her children Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Amid pandemonium, Birla continued the House proceedings and began Question Hour on the doubling of farmers’ income by 2022.
As the opposition continued its protest, Birla requested them to cooperate in running the House.
“Today, there is a discussion on farmers’ issue. This is not good as you are not interested in discussion over such an important issue,” Birla said.
The Special Protection Group (SPG) cover given to Gandhis was withdrawn earlier this month and they were given ‘Z plus’ security provided by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
The SPG security was withdrawn from the New Delhi residences of Sonia, her son Rahul and daughter Priyanka.
The Gandhi family had been enjoying the SPG cover since the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on May 21, 1991.
The decision to withdraw SPG security, the country’s highest grade of protection, was taken after a review involving the Cabinet Secretariat and the Ministry of Home Affairs with inputs from various intelligence agencies.
