A united Opposition on Thursday created a storm in Rajya Sabha to protest against naming of 20 BJP MPs and two TDP leaders in the official bulletin of the House for rushing into the Well and obstructing proceedings.
Agitated over the discriminatory approach of Chairman Hamid Ansari, BJP members staged a walkout from the House.
The BSP, SP, JD(U) and AIADMK also pulled up the Government for naming members, who agitated on Wednesday against the Defence Minister’s statement on the ambush of Indian soldiers.After repeated adjournments and walkout by the BJP, the Chairman was forced to reconsider the decision.
Raising the issue, BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu said that such naming of members in the House had never happened in the past, even when members from the ruling parties tore the women’s reservation legislation.
“Why this discriminationIJ What is the ruleIJ Naming of members of one party and showing discrimination is not acceptable. We denounce it. What is this practiceIJ Who decided thisIJ This is an insult and discrimination against the main Opposition party. This is infringement of our rights. I don’t know if it has happened with your (Chairman Hamid Ansari’s) knowledge,” Naidu said.
The bulletin had not named members of the ruling party who too had disrupted the proceedings over creation of Telangana, he pointed out and demanded that they too should be named.
leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley also said never in the past had expression of protests by members of the House figured in the Rajya Sabha bulletin.
Significantly, a ruling party MP, who menacingly marched towards a member of the supporting party, and another member, who was in the Well over the Telangana issue, have also not been named in the bulletin, he said.
Ansari tried to pacify the leaders, saying the issue could be discussed in his chamber, but angry BJP members staged a walkout.
Siding with the BJP, AIADMK leader V Maitreyan pointed out that Govardhan Reddy (Cong) had on Wednesday quarreled with two TDP members in the Well and had to be pulled away by Renuka Chowdhury (Cong). He asked why Reddy was not named in the bulletin. Ansari tried to defend the ‘lapse’ saying if there was a mistake in the bulletin, it should be pointed out, but Maitreyan also walked out of the House.
All this while, TDP MPs YS Chowdary and CM Ramesh, who have also been named in the bulletin for “disorderly conduct in violation of rules and etiquettes of Rajya Sabha,” stood in the Well with a black cloth over their mouths.
They defied Ansari’s direction to go back to their assigned place and continued protesting against division of Andhra Pradesh. As the din continued, the House was adjourned till noon.
When the House reassembled, BJP members did not return. However, Maitreyan once again raised the issue. SP member Naresh Agarwal also said that Jaitley had raised a valid point, and there was no harm in the Government admitting its mistake.
BSP, JD(U) and AGP members also stood to protest against the discrimination against the Opposition following which the House was adjourned till 12.30 hrs.
When the House reassembled Defence Minister AK Antony started making a statement on the ambush of Indian soldiers by Pakistan Army, but the Opposition continued creating a ruckus. Since nothing could be heard in the din the House was adjourned for the third time till 2 pm.
At 2 pm, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath urged the Chair to consider its decision so that Opposition would come back to the House.
Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien responded positively saying,” The matter will be reconsidered.”
He also urged the Opposition to come back to the House as it has an important role in Parliamentary democracy. Following this, BJP members escorted by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla returned to the House and the proceedings resumed.
Even though Opposition members were named for protesting, the Congress justified its members disrupting lok Sabha proceedings on Telangana issue. Congress spokesman Raj Babbar said that protesting MPs are representing the concerns, pain and anger of the people who have elected them, so protests should not be treated as disruption. He, however, clarified that the decision in Rajya Sabha was taken by the Chair and not the Congress.