New Delhi, Sep 22(UNI) In a show of ‘Gandhigiri’, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh on Tuesday served tea to suspended opposition MPs sitting on a ‘dharna’ at Gandhi statue on the Parliament premises. Mr Harivansh went to the protesting members with tea and served it in cups on Tuesday morning on the lawns of the Parliament complex even as the suspended members called him “anti-farmer”.
Soon after, the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman declared a one-day fast till Wednesday to express his anguish over attacks by the Opposition in Parliament.
The Opposition MPs have accused Deputy Chairman for not allowing a division of votes during the passage of the farm sector bills in the Rajya Sabha on Sunday.
The Opposition had moved a no confidence motion against the Deputy Chairman which was rejected on Monday by Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu.
The suspended members had on Monday refused to leave the Rajya Sabha, which was adjourned five times. After leaving the House, they sat on a dharna near Mahatma Gandhi’s statue, where they spread out sheets and sat holding up placards that read – “We will fight for farmers” and “parliament assassinated”.
Opposition leaders from several parties visited them in solidarity, including National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, former Prime Minister Deve Gowda, Samajwadi Party’s Jaya Bachchan and Congress leader Ahmed Patel.
