Speaker raps Rajiv Pratap Rudy for his remarks against senior TMC leader

Amid protests from opposition to his remarks against a senior TMC member, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy was pulled up by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Thursday. 

"Rudy, I have not allowed you to speak. You please sit down", a visibly agitated Speaker told the Union Minister whose remarks against Saugata Roy had angered the opposition. Seeking to pacify the opposition, Speaker also ordered expunction of the remarks of the Minister. She told Rudy that there was no need for him to react in a matter, which she was herself seized of.

Roy had raised a point of order after the Minister presented report of the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) held on Wednesday. The TMC member objected as to how the government had brought for consideration the Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of Tax) Bill 2015 without informing the BAC meeting yesterday that it would be part of the official business. Complaining to the Speaker, he said the government was doing such things repeatedly and therefore the BAC should be scrapped as it was not being consulted at all.

The Speaker told him that the government had told an earlier BAC meeting about its plans to bring this bill. This prompted Rudy to pass some remarks against Roy referring to his frequent questioning of the government's moves in the House. Congress members immediately protested and Sonia Gandhi was seen nudging them. Even Left party members and Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM were seen protesting against the Minister's remark.