State MPs at the heart of rare bonhomie in Lok Sabha
Thursday, 17/12/2015
http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Tribune/
New Delhi : A usually grim Lok Sabha today witnessed two specific instances of cross party bonhomie, leading to a momentary sense of camaraderie in the House, which has become a scene of constant political bickering.
The first instance involved Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s gesture of offering his glass of water to Aam Aadmi Party MP Bhagwant Mann when the latter was sloganeering in the well of the Lok Sabha against CBI raids yesterday at the office of AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The second instance was witnessed during the Zero Hour when Aam Aadmi Party members, including the under suspension Patiala MPDharamvir Gandhi, cut across political affiliations to back the Akali Dal’s demand to mark the death anniversary of Guru Teg Bahadur as the martyrdom day.
The demand to honour the ninth Sikh Guru who sacrificed his life to protect religious freedom and human rights came first from Akali Dal member from Anandpur Sahib Prem Singh Chandumajra who also asked the Centre to declare this day as a national holiday.
Losing no time, AAP MPs Bhagwant Mann, Sadhu Singh and Gandhi supported the Akali demand, much to the surprise of Chandumajra.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi offered a glass of water lying on his table to Mann whose throat was parched from constant slogan shouting.
It was when Mann could not find water around the table that seats Lok Sabha secretariat officers that the PM gave him the glass lying on his table.
Mann had the water and kept the glass back on the PM’s table. The two exchanged smiles before the belligerent AAP member went back to the business of shouting slogans.
At this point, the House witnessed applause from the Treasury benches, including External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, at the PM’s gesture which left AAP MPs humbled.
