Speaker cites disorder to not take up no-trust move, adjourns LS

The proceedings in Parliament were washed out for the second consecutive week on Friday due to protests by Opposition parties, which also led to the failure of the Lok Sabha to take up notices for no-confidence motion against the National Democratic Alliance government moved by parties from Andhra Pradesh.

While the Lok Sabha proceedings were first adjourned till noon and then for the day, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned straight till 2.30 pm and later for the day with Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu expressing anguish over the proceedings being paralysed ever since Parliament resumed its budget session on March 5 after a recess.

Lok Sabha

In the Lok Sabha, the notices for the no-confidence motion, moved for the first time since the nearly four-year rule of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance, were not taken up as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, who said there was ‘no order’ in the House and adjourned the proceedings for the day amid vociferous protests over various issues.

The notices were moved by the Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress and the Telugu Desam Party, who have been demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh, an issue on which the latter today quit the ruling alliance.

The no-confidence notices were moved by YSR Congress member Y V Subba Reddy and TDP's Thota Narasimham.

The Lok Sabha proceedings were washed out for the 10th consecutive day following incessant protests and sloganeering by various parties, including the TDP, the YSR Congress, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Rashtriya Janata Dal over multiple issues, including special status for Andhra Pradesh and banking scam.

Congress members were also seen standing at their seats.

Soon after papers and reports were laid during the Zero Hour, Mahajan said she has received a notice for no-confidence motion.

"I am duty-bound to bring it... provided the House is in order," she said amid the din.

"I request all of you to go  back to your seats," Mahajan told the members protesting in the Well.

However as the members continued with the protests, the Speaker said since the House is not in order, she was unable to take up the notice and then adjourned the proceedings for the day.

Members from TRS and AIADMK were in the Well holding placards and shouting slogans. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal made a statement regarding the government business to be taken up in the House next week.

Soon after the House assembled at 11 am and was to take up the Question Hour, the proceedings were adjourned till noon due to the noisy scenes.

The House also extended the time for the Joint Committee on the Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill, 2017 to submit its report.

Earlier, three newly elected MPs – Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Sarfaraz Alam (Araria-Bihar) and Samajwadi Party members Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel (Phulpur-Uttar Pradesh) and Praveen Kumar Nishad (Gorakhpur-UP) – took oath.

The House also paid respect to three departed former members and noted cosmologist Stephen Hawking, who passed away this week. Tributes were also paid to nine Central Reserve Police Force personnel, who were killed in an IED blast in Chhattisgarh, on March 13.

Since Parliament reconvened on March 5 after Budget Session recess, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have been witnessing disruptions on a daily basis. On Wednesday amid chaos, the Lower House had passed the Finance Bill and appropriation bills without any discussion.

Rajya Sabha

The Rajya Sabha proceedings were abruptly adjourned soonafter it met, following a brief argument between the Chairmanand some Congress members.

After tabling of the listed papers, Naidu expressedanguish saying the House has not functioned ever since itresumed on March 5 after recess during the Budget session.

Before adjourning the House till 2.30 pm, the Chairmansaid there were larger issues like banking scam, Cauvery riverwater sharing, demand for a special package to Andhra Pradeshand sealing in the national capital, which were agitating theminds of people and needed to be discussed.

He said notices given by members on these issues wereaccepted and he has agreed for a discussion on them but yetthe House was not taking up the debates.

Naidu hoped that the House would function normallyfrom next week and have constructive proceedings.

"I am verymuch pained that the Upper House of Parliament is not able totransact its business for last two weeks. Don't test mypatience...We are meeting, greeting and not doing anything andadjourning," he said.

He said that ‘we have to go by consensus or by themajority of the House (on deciding the issues)’.

"You can'tdictate something and say whether you go my way or thehighway. That is no way, I must tell you," he said, addingthat the Chair would not allow such a thing.

Naidu also warned the protesting members to ensure smoothfunctioning of the House before ‘I take extreme views’.

As he was making the appeal, Congress member SatyabratChaturvedi stood up and said he agreed with the Chair, butsought to know whether it was for the first time that he iswitnessing such a scenario in Parliament.

To this, Naidu asked if somebody committed a mistake inthe past, does it mean that he should also do the same.

"Doyou want this sort of a thing to continue? ... Is that yoursuggestion. Is this your party view?"

As some other Congress members were on their feet tryingto join the issue simultaneously, Naidu adjourned the Housetill 2.30 pm.

When the House reassembled, Deputy Chairman P J Kurienasked TDP MP Y S Chowdary to complete his speech which he wasmaking on Thursday when the House was adjourned.

Chowdary said the earlier government had given severalassurances to Andhra Pradesh about being compensated afterTelangana was carved out of it.

However, the state ‘lost’ cosmopolitan city ofHyderabad and the revenue arising from various industries andhas remained only an agrarian state only, but has not beencompensated, he said.

The bill to bifurcate the state would not have beenpassed if the assurances was not accepted by the membersof the House, he said, amid protests by members from theCongress benches.

As soon as he ended his speech, protests by someopposition members led the Deputy Chairman to adjourn theHouse for the day. 

IMAGE: Opposition members protest during the ongoing budget session of Parliament in the Lok Sabha.