Delhi violence causes scuffle in the Indian parliament

The Delhi violence has caused ripples in the Indian parliament on Monday as members of the government and the opposition engaged in scuffles.

The ooposition demanded resignation of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and caused a series of adjournments, reports NDTV.

Scuffle started in the Lok Sabha after the Speaker turned down the opposition's demand to discuss the violence, saying the situation was "not appropriate".

 "We will wait for the situation to improve and then allow a discussion," Speaker Om Birla repeatedly reasoned, however he had to adjourn the house as the members refused to relent.

In Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the house for the day amid repeated slogan shouting by the members of the Congress, Left, TMC, SP, BSP and DMK.

Opposition MPs have given notice in both houses demanding a discussion on the four-day violence in Delhi that claimed more than 40 lives last week.

In the Lok Sabha, which was adjourned thrice, slogan-shouting members of the opposition were seen waving posters demanding the Prime Minister's resignation.

Things took a turn for the worse as two Congress members took a black banner to the Treasury benches and refused to return to the Well. Some Congress members then tore papers and hurled them in the air, at which BJP members, including many from the back benches, rushed towards the Congress members. As the scuffle gathered momentum, the Speaker adjourned the house.

Ghulam Nabi Azad, leader of the opposition In Rajya Sabha charged that the Central government "slept" when violence rocked Delhi for three days. The Congress has demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes a statement in parliament and Home Minister Amit Shah should resign.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said the matter was "definitely important and deserves to be discussed" and that he would allot time for a discussion.

"Our priority should be restoring normalcy. We should see that normalcy is restored and then we can discuss ways and means of preventing it (such violence)," he said.

Sources said Home Minister Amit Shah is unlikely to make a statement in parliament about the situation in Delhi. A statement can only be made if the house is in order, the sources said.

The Congress, Trinamool and AAP members staged separate dharnas near the Gandhi statue in parliament, demanding answers from the government on the Delhi violence.

Trinamool members Mohua Mitra and Sukhendu Shekhar Rai held a protest in imitation of Mahatma Gandhi's "Three Monkeys", covering their eyes with black bands and holding a finger on their lips.

Congress's Rahul Gandhi, Adhir Ranjan Choudhary, Shashi Tharoor also stood at the protest site, holding placards that demanded the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah.

Four AAP MPs – Sanjay Singh, Bhagwant Mann, N D Gupta and Sushil Gupta – denounced the BJP with "Murdabad" slogans.

The second half of the Indian budget session is scheduled to conclude on April 3.

Over the next four weeks, the government is expected to push its legislative agenda that includes several key bills, including one on surrogacy.