Congress raises ‘pellet guns’, BJP counters with 1984 riots at panel meet
A BJP member brought up the “glorification” of anti-Sikh riots convict Sajjan Kumar to counter the Congress’s move to raise a matter that was not part of the agenda of “crimes against children”. Chugh’s remarks drew a sharp reaction from Congress MP Jai Prakash, who said the issue was not relevant at all. BJP has accused Congress MP Deepender Hooda of being laudatory in his tribute to Kumar.
New Delhi witnessed a heated exchange at a parliamentary committee meeting on Tuesday as opposition MPs, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, demanded the committee address the use of "excessive" force against protesting students. The Congress party's Ajay Maken had written to the committee chairperson, BJP MP Radha Mohan Das Agrawal, on August 5, urging the committee to consider allegations that Delhi Police personnel used pellet guns and nail-fitted batons against students during their march to Parliament on July 20.
Maken and other opposition MPs, like Priyanka and Sanjay Raut of UBT's Senta, argued that the issue of police brutality against children should be addressed. BJP MP Tarun Chugh countered by suggesting the committee also discuss the glorification of anti-Sikh riots convict Sajjan Kumar, whose death earlier this week while serving his sentence reignited the debate.
Chugh's proposal drew criticism from Congress MP Jai Prakash, who deemed it irrelevant to the committee's agenda. Despite BJP's accusations that Congress MP Deepender Hooda had been too flattering in his tribute to Kumar, the ruling party's efforts to restore order were unsuccessful as the committee decided to focus solely on the presentation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the use of force against protesters at a later date.
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