Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma
Video Producer: Anubhav Mishra
Attacking the government over the detention of sitting Lok Sabha MP Farooq Abdullah, Opposition members on Monday termed the National Conference leader's detention as illegal and demanded that he be allowed to attend the House.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Chowdhary said it was an "atrocity" not to allow the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister to attend Lok Sabha proceedings. On the detention of Abdullah, he said the NC supremo has been under detention for 106 days and it is his constitutional right to attend the House.
The Speaker said when Home Minister Amit Shah informed the House in the previous session that Abdullah was not under detention, he was correct. The written information of his detention was received later by the Lok Sabha secretariat. He said now he has written information that Abdullah is under detention.
DMK leader TR Baalu sought Birla's intervention in the matter, saying the Speaker is the custodian of the House and should ensure that members are allowed to attend the House.
Making a passionate appeal that Abdullah be allowed to attend the House, National Conference MP Hasnain Masoodi said the former chief minister was under preventive custody not under judicial custody and it can be revoked by the Speaker's order.
Earlier, within minutes of commencement of the Question Hour, around 30 members from the Congress trooped into the Well, shouting slogans and demanding that the government stop attacking the Opposition as well as foisting false cases.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)