Opp walks out of lS, stalls RS

The Opposition on Tuesday boycotted and staged a walkout from the lok Sabha, and held protests on Parliament premises even as its counterparts paralysed the Upper House over the issue of suspension of 25 Congress MPs from the lower House. The Opposition benches in the lok Sabha wore a deserted look as the House conducted its listed business for the day and even passed the Railways Appropriations Bill 2015. 

While the lok Sabha proceedings were boycotted by the Congress, Trinamool Congress, JD(U), Muslim league and NCP, the Rajya Sabha proceedings could not take place as Congress members took to the Well and shouted slogans against the Narendra Modi Government.  Sources said the same strategy to stall the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha, where the ruling regime is in minority, will continue for the remaining part of the Monsoon Session.

Members of the left, SP and RJD walked out soon after the lok Sabha met as a mark of support to their Congress counterparts who have been suspended by the Speaker for five working days for disrupting the House by carrying placards and sloganeering in the Well of the House.As soon as the House met for the day, members from these parties wanted to raise some issues but were disallowed by the Speaker who also rejected their adjournment notices and asked them to raise the issue during Zero Hour.

Soon thereafter when the lok Sabha took up Question Hour, Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav (RJD) raised slogans like ‘take back suspension’. He was soon joined by members from the left and SP. After shouting slogans from their benches, they staged a walkout.Tathagata Satpathy of the BJD raised the matter of suspension of members during Zero Hour just before he was to conclude his submission on the flood situation in parts of Odisha. The BJD member said that since several Opposition members were not in the House, official business like passage of Bills should not be taken up.

“In democracy, Opposition is part of the process and therefore no Bill or legislative work should be taken up in its absence,” he said.While suddenly raising the issue, Satpathy praised the Speaker for her “perseverance  and patience” in “dealing with the situation that has arisen”.  He, thereafter, added “we would request you to decrease the punishment that you have meted out to the Opposition.”

AIADMK leader P Venugopal also attempted  to raise the issue of suspension of memers but was disallowed by the Speaker. Another BJD member Bhartruhari Mahtab had also indicated that he wanted to raise the issue after Venugopal.Speaker told Venugopal that he cannot raise the issue of suspension as the matter cannot be discussed in the House. She said she thought he wanted to raise issue concerning fishermen.

All this while, the House witnessed protests with YSR Congress members, carrying placards, storming the Well seeking special category status for Andhra Pradesh.TRS members, with slogans written on paper pinned to their shirts, also staged protests from the aisle demanding separate High Court for Telangana. Home Minister Rajnath Singh briefly responded to the issue. “I assure you there will be no injustice... As for the demand for a separate High Court in Telangana, I spoke with law Minister (DV Sadananda Gowda). He is working on finding a solution,” he said.

The House then took up the discussion on Demands for Excess Grants (Railways). BJP member Jagdambika Pal, who later initiated discussion on the Demands for Excess Grants (Railways), remarked that the proceedings of the House were on Tuesday underway in a proper manner. The rest of the Zero Hour was postponed to evening by the Speaker. The Question Hour after two-week disruption went on almost smoothly without much disruption. 

More action was witnessed in the Rajya Sabha as an aggressive Congress launched a frontal attack against the Government’s “dictatorial” attitude, forcing its adjournment for almost an hour soon after it assembled for the day. Over two dozen members of the Congress, mostly wearing black arm bands and carrying placards, rushed to the Well of the House raising anti-Government slogans as soon as the House met. 

Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien sought to bring some order chiding the members for the “height of indiscipline”. However, as the Opposition members were not in a mood to relent, Kurien adjourned the House. No question could be taken up, despite pleas from the Chair to allow the Question Hour to run smoothly.