Kharge seeks discussion on West Asia; irresponsible behaviour, says Nadda

Rajya Sabha Chairperson C P Radhakrishnan said he understood the subject and would come back after due consultation on Rule 176, giving the floor to Jaishankar. Other members also submitted notices under Rule 267 — which has remained a contentious issue. The Chair did not take that up, stating that ruling on Rule 267 had been given several times in the past.

As the External Affairs Minister started making the statement, MPs from the Congress and other Opposition parties rose from their seats and insisted that Kharge be allowed to complete his remarks. They raised slogans and demanded that a short discussion be allowed to which the minister should reply.

Later, the entire Opposition staged a walkout from the House while the minister was making his statement. Jaishankar went on to update the House on the ongoing situation in West Asia, what the Indian government and the embassies had done so far, and what was being done to bring back the people stranded in the Gulf nations. He said the region was key to India’s energy security and the government remained committed to ensure availability, taking into account the risks and costs.

“The interest of the Indian consumers is the over-riding priority for the government,” he said.

After his statement, Leader of the House J P Nadda attacked the Opposition saying it was “irresponsible” in raising the issue when Jaishankar was already set to speak on the West Asia situation. He said the Opposition was not interested in debate or the interests of the country, but only in anarchy and creating “hooliganism”.

He said the Opposition had staged walkouts during several important debates.

Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country’s space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University’s Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor’s Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... Read More

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