LS adjourns briefly over ‘sati’ remarks

New Delhi, Feb 7 (PTI) Lok Sabha was adjourned briefly on Tuesday amid opposition uproar over certain references allegedly made by BJP member C P Joshi to the abolished practice of sati’.

Joshi, a BJP member from Chittorgarh in Rajasthan, had initiated the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address when he made reference to Padmavati, the Queen of Mewar who self-immolated to protect her honour from invader Allaudin Khilji.

Opposition members Supriya Sule (NCP), Kanimozhi, Dayanidhi Maran, A Raja (DMK), K Muraleedharan (Congress), Imtiaz Jaleel (AIMIM) were on their feet claiming that Joshi had glorified the practice of sati’.

Joshi asserted that he had not made any reference to the practice of sati’, but mentioned that Padmavati had performed jauhar’ (self-immolation) to protect her honour.

“I stand by my words,” Joshi said, as opposition members raised slogans in the Well of the House.

As protests continued, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla adjourned the proceedings for 20 minutes.