New Delhi: Leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday (August 1) wrote a letter, on behalf of opposition parties, to deputy chairman Harivansh saying he was “astonished and shocked” that security personnel were being deployed into the well of the House to stop members from protesting.

"We are astonished and shocked at the manner in which CISF personnel are made to run into the well of the House when the members are exercising their democratic rights of protest,” Kharge wrote in the letter.

“We saw this yesterday and we saw this today as well. Has our Parliament been reduced to such a level? This is most objectionable and we condemn it unequivocally. We expect that in future CISF personnel will not come trooping in the well of the House when members are raising important issues of public concern.”

On Friday, opposition members continued their protest against the Election Commission’s contentious ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. 

When Rajya Sabha began proceedings, the deputy chairman refused to admit 30 notices given by opposition parties demanding a discussion on SIR among other issues. Opposition members raised loud protests against SIR and demanded a discussion.

“This matter is sub-judice. The Election Commission is a constitutional body and the matter is sub-judice in the Supreme Court,” said Harivansh before adjourning the house till noon.

While the house reconvened at noon, it was adjourned again for the day only minutes later as protests continued.

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said that the House is now witnessing a “takeover of the chamber of the Council of States by the personnel of the CISF.”

“After the sudden and unprecedented resignation of the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, we are now seeing the takeover of the chamber of the Council of States by the personnel of the CISF,” he said in a statement.

TMC's parliamentary leader in the Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien said that the events in the House were "unprecedented."

"Marshals (or CISF personnel ) pre-emptively barricade Well. AITC, DMK & AAP MPs BARRED from entering the Well. Never seen anything like this before. So scared to discuss SIR-vote chori. ModiShah, INDIA will fight U to the finish," he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju referred to December 2023 when two individuals had breached parliament security, jumping from the public gallery into the Lok Sabha hall, and opened smoke canisters, causing House proceedings to be interrupted.

"It was parliament members' demand to increase security, therefore CISF was deployed. Just last year some people jumped from the gallery," said Rijiju.

"Inside the house, members have sometimes physically taken a stand atop the treasury table and near the Well. This causes damages to property. To ensure this does not happen, the Chair has taken some decisions but this does not mean  MPs will be stopped from speaking. 

He added, “But one MP cannot stop another MP. Marshals and security inside the House will not take any action till the time MPs indulge in stopping anyone. I was told by the Rajya Sabha secretariat that some MPs aggressively came forward and arrangements were made to stop them. But no one was stopped from speaking.”

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