Parliament washed out for 13th day

The proceedings in Parliament were washed out for the 13th consecutive day on Wednesday as members of some parties like the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Telangana Rashtra Samithi continued with their noisy protests, with the Lok Sabha unable to take up the notices of no-confidence motion against the government for the fourth day.

While the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day without transacting any business barely four minutes after it assembled, the Lok Sabha was adjourned till noon and thereafter for the day due to the protests by parties from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the Rajya Sabha in four minutes after the start of proceedings as members of Andhra parties, including Telugu Desam Party, and K V P Ramachandra Rao of the Congress trooped into the well raising slogans seeking a
special status for the state.

No sooner were the listed papers laid on the table, the members of Tamil Nadu parties -- DMK and AIADMK -- too walked into the well demanding immediate constitution of the Cauvery Water Management Board for river water sharing between their
state and Karnataka.

Congress members too joined them in the well shouting slogans against the government.

Leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad sought a discussion on the atrocities against the SCs and STs as well as on the statement of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on the killing of 39 abducted Indians in Iraq.

He said the House should debate the statement Swaraj made last year and what she stated on Tuesday.

Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu asked him to give proper notice for the same and asked the members to allow the House to function. "What is happening. Are we so helpless," he asked.

"Go back to your respective seats and raise issues," Naidu said, adding he was willing to allow members to raise issues from their seat and asked them not to shout slogans.

Asking if the MPs wanted images of disruption to be seen by the nation, he said "is this Parliament or something else? ... I am sorry this is not the way." Thereafter, he adjourned the proceedings for the day.

This is the third day that Naidu has adjourned the proceedings for the day right after the House assembled.

On Tuesday, the chairman had called it a day right after Swaraj had made a statement on the issue of abducted Indians in Iraq.

Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have not transacted any substantial business since the budget session of Parliament resumed on March 5, barring the passage of the budget by the Lower House without any debate.

The Lok Sabha proceedings were first disrupted right after it had assembled with Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourning the proceedings for an hour due to protests by parties from Andhra within about four minutes.

At noon, members from the AIADMK, the TDP and the TRS were again seen raising slogans and holding placards in the Well.

After the laying of papers by ministers, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar urged the members to return to their seats so that legislative business could be taken up.

He said the government is willing to discuss any issue, including the no-confidence motion. "We have the confidence of the House as well as of the entire country," he said.

When the Speaker took up the two notices of the trust vote given by the TDP and the YSR Congress, the AIADMK members raised the pitch of their slogans. TRS members were also seen in the well.

Mahajan said she cannot do a headcount of 50 members supporting the move, a pre-requisite for taking up the notices for the trust vote. Placards held by protesting MPs were apparently blocking her view, as she said as she can't see anything from the Chair.

Members of the Congress, the Trinamool and the Left then raised their hands and stood at their seats to indicate to the speaker that they were supporting the no-confidence motion.

But Mahajan said as the House is not in order, she cannot move ahead with the issue and adjourned the House for the day.

At least 50 members have to support the motion before it is moved, for which a headcount is needed to be carried out.

While the AIADMK has been seeking early establishment of the Cauvery river board to settle the water dispute with neighbouring states, the TRS is demanding hiked quota for jobs in Telangana and the TDP wants special status for Andhra Pradesh.

Expelled Rashtriya Janata Dal member Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav was also seen holding a placard demanding special status for Bihar.

IMAGE: TDP MPs protest outside Parliament demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh during the budget session in New Delhi. Photograph: Vijay Verma/PTI Photo