‘Important to maintain dignity’: Cong MP Tariq Anwar on Oppn’s ‘toy monkey’ protest in Parliament complex

New Delhi, Aug 13 (IANS) Congress MP Tariq Anwar on Thursday expressed his disapproval of the Opposition’s protest in the Parliament complex on the last day of the Monsoon Session after the members displayed toy monkeys, saying that dignity should be maintained.

Several opposition members, including Congress MPs Pawan Khera, Imran Pratapgarhi and Jebi Mather, took part in the demonstration while raising slogans against the BJP-led Centre. Khera led the protest holding a soft monkey toy.

Speaking to IANS, Congress MP Tariq Anwar said: “I believe that we should always be careful to maintain the dignity of the House as well as the dignity of our position as MPs.”

During the demonstration, the opposition members raised slogans, seeking answers from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the alleged police excesses against student agitators during the July 20 Parliament march and over the alleged embezzlement of donations made at Ayodhya’s Ram Temple,

The protesting MPs were from Congress, Samajwadi Party, Shiv Sena(UBT), NCP(SP) and others.

Meanwhile, the MPs from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and Opposition parties staged separate protests, again coming face to face at the Parliament’s Makar Dwar on the last day of the Monsoon session, even as the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die.

While a section of opposition MPs raised slogans against the government, holding placards related to the alleged embezzlement of donations made at Ayodhya’s Ram Temple, others held placards questioning Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s “absence” from Parliament.

The NDA MPs, on the other hand, raised slogans with placards questioning Congress and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over the alleged police action against protesters during the ‘Vidhan Sabha Gherao’ march in Jharkhand.

On Wednesday, amid the Opposition’s continued demand for his presence in Parliament, Home Minister Amit Shah said that he was “ready to answer everything” regarding the police action against students during the July 20 Parliament march over the NEET paper leak issue, while accusing the Opposition of deliberately preventing a discussion from taking place.

LoP Rahul Gandhi, however, said that the Opposition is not interested in the Home Minister’s “imagination or lectures”, adding that the young generation wants to know who gave orders to “shoot” at them.

–IANS

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