Congress MP breaks down over Gujarat police action

New DelhiAhmedabad, May 2 (IANS) A Congress MP from Gujarat, Prabha Kishor Taviad, broke down in the Lok Sabha Wednesday as her colleague Girija Vyas recounted how she was allegedly punched and dragged by the hair by Gujarat Police to prevent her from reaching the venue of a function being presided over by state Chief Minister Narendra Modi. The Gujarat government defended the police action saying it was out of 'compulsion'.

MPs from several parties condemned the incident and demanded justice for Kishor.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj said she will speak to Modi about the incident and apprise the house of the facts.

Narrating the incident during zero hour, Girija Vyas said Kishor, Congress MP from Dahod, showed her pass to police and told them about her intention to go to the Gujarat Day function.

'Without seeing her pass, her hair was pulled... there are injury marks all over her body,' Girija Vyas said and accused the police of misbehaviour.

'She (Kishor) repeatedly told them that she is going there (to the function) to give her congratulations,' Girija Vyas said.

She alleged that the MP was dragged for 200-300 m in the manner 'thieves and dacoits' are taken away.

Referring to the presence of woman leaders in the house, including Speaker Meira Kumar, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Sushma Swaraj, Girija Vyas said Kishor should get justice.

Girija Vyas slammed the Modi government saying it had showed an attitude witnessed during the Gujarat riots of 2002 when 'a woman's stomach was cut open to take out the child'.

Sushma Swaraj, who is Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said the incident narrated by Girija Vyas was 'serious'.

The BJP leader said she will talk to the chief minister and find out 'why it happened, how it happened'.

She said Gujarat was a BJP-ruled state and she will tell the members about the developments after talking to the chief minister.

Meanwhile, Gujarat government spokesperson Jaynarayan Vyas said Kishor had been invited for Gujarat Day function as an MP but she was bent upon staging a protest.

He said if Kishor she had to give a representation to the chief minister, he meets MLAs and MPs from the state every Tuesday.

Jaynarayan Vyas said the district collector offered to take the representation from Kishor but it appeared she was bent upon staging a protest.

'It was an administrative process. It was nearly a compulsion,' Jaynarayan Vyas said.

He said Kishor had held a protest during the independence day function also.

In parliament, MPs across parties condemned the police action against the MP.

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad attacked Modi over the incident and said it exposed the real face of the state government.

AIADMK member M. Thambidurai termed the incident involving the member was a serious matter.

'House has to take notice. Speaker has got a notice from the member,' he said.

CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta said the matter was of concern to the entire parliament. '(It is) violation of fundamental rights. The central government must ask the government of Gujarat to explain,' he said.

Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Basudeb Acharia termed the incident 'a very serious matter'.

Samajwadi Party MP Rewati Raman Singh said the matter pertained to the dignity of the house and called for stern action against the guilty.