Amar Singh apologises after drama in RS

Wed, Nov 25 05:35 AM

Indulging in some political theatrics, Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, in a bid to regain his party's Muslim vote base in Uttar Pradesh, got into a scuffle with BJP members who were chanting Jai Shri Ram after Home Minister P Chidambaram tabled the Liberhan report in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

The Upper House saw disruptions right from the word go. While the ruckus created by JD(U)'s Ali Anwar over the alleged leakage of the Ranganath Misra Committee report on Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims and BJP's demand for a discussion on the Madhu Koda scam forced two adjournments, Amar Singh's fisticuff with BJP member S S Ahluwalia led to the third.

As soon as the Home Minister tabled the report, some BJP members started shouting Jai Shri Ram. This provoked Singh, who rushed to the Opposition benches in protest. He caught hold of Ahluwalia, who was sitting on the front row, and pushed him.

A scuffle ensued as several BJP members came to the rescue of Ahluwalia while some Muslim MPs, including LJP's Sabir Ali, joined Singh. In the middle of the ruckus, Deputy Chairman Rahman Khan left without adjourning the House.

While Singh defended his act outside Parliament, he later apologised to Ahluwalia in the House. "I am ready to apologise to Ahluwalia. I didn't want to manhandle him. But he raised slogans, which had the potential of dividing the House on communal lines," he told reporters. Referring to Parliament, Singh said, "This is our temple. It has no religious affiliations. I am a Ram devotee myself. But Ram is not our political figure."

"If this incident has caused any resentment, I would like to tell my old friend Surender to forget it... I am sorry and would like to urge you not to make such provocations," he said.

Replying to Singh's remarks, Ahluwalia said, "It would have been better if whatever happened today hadn't happened."

Meanwhile, in a statement, Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice-President Hamid Ansari said the incident had caused him great anguish. "An unsavoury incident does not bring any credit to this House... As the House of elders, we are expected to set certain standards. I hope all of us will try to find better ways to conducting our business."

Inside News

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