Storm in Rajya Sabha over Indian journalist's meeting with Hafiz Saeed
14 Jul 2014
The Congress today raised a ruckus in the Rajya Sabha over the reported meeting of a journalist considered close to self-proclaimed yoga guru Ramdev with Hafiz Saeed, considered the mastermind behind the 26/11 terrorist attack on Mumbai.
The uproar led to two adjournments during Question Hour. Though the government clarified that it had nothing to do with it, Congress members sought a detailed statement on the purpose and motive behind the meeting with India's most wanted terrorist.
Congress members said it was a matter of national interest and the journalist should have been arrested.
Digvijaya Singh (Congress) raised the issue when the house met for the day seeking to know from the leader of the house Arun Jaitley if the meeting had government's sanction.
Chairman Hamid Ansari disallowed him from raising the issue, saying this was not the occasion for it, and took up the question hour.
"Please raise the matter appropriately ... give notice and you will get an appropriate response. Let the question hour proceed," Ansari said. "This is question hour, a question has been called, allow it to be answered."
But the Congress members persisted with the issue, forcing Ansari to adjourn the house for 15 minutes and later again for a similar period.
