In Lok Sabha, Cong wants ban on Orbit
Friday, 01/05/2015
http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Tribune/
New Delhi : The death of a teenager pushed off a private bus in Punjab by her molesters rocked Lok Sabha today with the Congress demanding a ban on Orbit, the bus company in question besides the constitution of a joint parliamentary committee to probe other alleged acts of omission by the firm owned by the ruling Akali Dal family of the state.
Speaking on the adjournment (of LS proceedings) motion he had moved this morning on the issue, Congress MP Ravneet Bittu called for a ban on Orbit on the lines of the one imposed on Uber Taxi Services following sexual assault of a girl by an Uber taxi driver.
"The Orbit transport company owned by the ruling Akali Dal Badal family of the state must be immediately banned just like Uber was. The Speaker should also constitute a joint parliamentary committee to visit Punjab and get the first hand information on other criminal acts of Orbit drivers.
“This transport company has unleashed road terrorism in the state and many people have died in the past due negligence of Orbit drivers,” Ludhiana MP Bittu alleged while Union Minister Harsimrat Badal, daughter in law of Punjav CM Parkash Singh Badal, stood in her seat attempting to intervene. She also questioned Bittu for naming the Badals in the House.
At this point, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan appealed to the opposition not to politicize the issue arising from a grave tragedy and not to name anyone. “Parliamentary conventions demand that MPs should not accuse in the House people who are not part of the House. Also we should desist from politicizing a tragedy,” Mahajan said.
Earlier in the Zero Hour at noon, Congress MPs Bittu and Satokh Choudhry and AAP members Bhagwant Mann and Dharamvir Gandhi stormed the well of the House demanding time to raise the issue. After the Speaker disallowed them, they forced a brief adjournment of the House which recommenced to take up the Finance Bill.
