For the second day in a row, proceedings in Parliament were virtually washed out due to continued Opposition uproar over issues like the banking fraud, special package for Andhra Pradesh, demands for constitution of the Cauvery Water Management Board and granting classical language status to Marathi language.
There was heavy uproar in both the Houses from the word go with members rushing to the Well of the House to register their protests. Both the Houses were adjourned for the day after they failed to conduct business even after adjournments.
Amid loud slogan-shouting in the lower House, the Congress and the TMC sought the Prime Minister’s response on frauds in the banking sector, while parties from Andhra Pradesh persisted on their demand for a special status. Besides, major Opposition parties, NDA ally Shiv Sena protested in the Well demanding classical language status for Marathi. The AIADMK demanded the creation of Cauvery Water Management Board and the TRS raised slogans, demanding a hike in Telangana’s quota in reservation.
The lok Sabha was first adjourned by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan soon after proceedings began and later for the day as brief comments from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar and Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge failed to salvage the situation.
Kumar said the Government wanted discussion on the issue of alleged financial irregularities in the banking sector to which, he said, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will also reply. Kharge wanted discussion under Rule 52 saying of crores of fraud in nationalised banks has resulted in loot of public money and the perpetrators were allowed to leave the country. “We need to discuss...,” he insisted.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi was present in the House.
Kumar said a notice for discussion on “alleged systemic irregularities in the banking sector over the years and its impact on the Indian economy” has been given by NK Premachandran (RSP) and KC Venugopal (Congress) and the same is listed for discussion in the day’s list of business.
“Banking irregularities have been going on. It was happening even during the UPA. Why are they running away from discussionIJ People who indulged in wrongdoing should be punished...The Congress should discuss what unscrupulous activity (hera pheri) happened during the UPA,” the Minister said. The House was soon adjourned for the day as protests continued.
The Rajya Sabha witnessed three adjournments during the day, with both Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien telling the Opposition members that they were ready to hold discussions on the issues being raised by them. However, their appeals went unheeded throughout and the House was finally adjourned for the day at 3.35 pm.
As soon as the House assembled for the fourth time during the day at 3:30 pm, the Opposition members again trooped into the Well raising slogans. Amid the din, Kurien adjourned the House for the day as the members remained unrelenting and continued to raise slogans and displaying placards on their demands over issues like PNB scam, Andhra Pradesh special package and setting up of the Cauvery Water Management Board. Parlia-mentary Affairs Minister Vijay Goel said the Government was ready to discuss the alleged banking frauds in the House.
Earlier, while the TMC members raised slogans demanding the alleged mastermind of banking fraud Nirav Modi be brought back to India. The TDP and Congress member demanded implementation of a special package for Andhra Pradesh to make up for the loss after a separate Telangana was carved out.