The proceedings of the lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on Monday were washed out for the 18th consecutive working day due to vociferous protests by AIADMK members seeking early constitution of the Cauvery water management board. While AIADMK members were on protesting in the well from all sides, TDP MPs also continued their protests seeking special status for Andhra Pradesh. The Congress and BSP MPs were also shouting slogans supporting the Dalit protests over the recent Supreme Court verdict on diluting the automatic arrest provisions in the SC/ST Act.
In lok Sabha, the ruckus saw the adjournment of the proceedings for the first time within four minutes after it assembled and then for the day at noon after the listed papers were laid. Even before the House was re-assembled at noon, the AIADMK members, carrying placards trooped into the Well of the House shouting slogans such as ‘we want justice’ and ‘we demand Cauvery board’.
Citing assembly polls in Karnataka, the Centre had last week sought more time from the Supreme Court to set up the Cauvery water management board to implement water sharing formula between Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. Congress, NCP, left, TDP and RJD members were standing in their seats seeking the Speaker’s ruling on the notices they had given on the no-confidence motion, moved by some of them.
Speaker Sumitra Mahajan appealed to the AIADMK members to return to their seats saying she cannot take up the no- confidence motion unless the House is in order. “I am duty bound to place the no-confidence motion. But this is not the way. Please go to your seats. I am not in a position to count,” said. A notice of no-confidence can be taken up in the House if it is supported by at least 50 members present, for which a headcount is needed.
Parliamentary Minister Ananth Kumar also said the government was ready for discussion and give reply to the no- confidence motion but there has to be complete harmony in the House. “We are ready to discuss and give reply. But the opposition is not allowing it,” he said.
leader of the Congress in the House Mallikarjun Kharge, who has also submitted a notice for no-confidence motion, said the opposition wanted to discuss a host of issues, including the recent Supreme Court ruling on SC/ST Act and alleged paper leak of the CBSE examinations.
The Speaker again appealed to the AIADMK members to stop their protest and return to their seats.
However, as the AIADMK members continued shouting slogans, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day at 12 noon, which was adjourned earlier at 11am. Congress member Kantilal Bhuria and RJD’s J P N Yadav were seen waving documents and demanding a review of the Supreme Court order diluting the provisions of immediate arrest under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. While the TMC members were seated in their places, MPs of the TDP, which has moved a notice of no confidence against the Government, were standing at their seats with black ribbons pinned to their shirts as a mark of protest.
Meanwhile Rajya Sabha was adjourned the day as soon as AIADMK MPs trooped into the well with placards and shouting slogans at 11am. DMK MPs were also in the Well competing with their politics rivals on the Kavery issue. MPs belonging to the Congress, TMC, BSP, TDP were in the Well even before Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu could settle down in his chair. Unlike past days when listed papers were allowed to be laid on the table peacefully, Naidu had to go through the exercise amid chaos as members persisted with slogan shouting.
The Congress and the BSP led the charge against the government, accusing it of being “anti-dalit”, an apparent reference to the Supreme Court ruling on the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The main opposition party also raised the issue of India’s biggest bank fraud alongside the TMC. Members of the TDP and KVP Ramachandra Rao of the Congress held placards demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh.
Amid the din, Naidu called the Ministers to lay the listed papers on the table of the House. But some of them had to be prodded by their colleagues as they apparently couldn’t hear Naidu calling their name to lay the papers. The Chairman asked the members to at least allow papers to be laid.
“Entire country is watching,” he said. “You are not going to achieve anything. You are making a mockery of parliamentary system.”
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said important bills are listed for discussion in the last week of the current Budget session of Parliament. The government, he said, is ready for a discussion on all issues. “I don’t understand why for small issues concerning them, they are not allowing the House to function,” he said.
Naidu said the government is ready, the chair is ready and the opposition too is ready for discussion. But as the ruckus continued, he adjourned the proceedings for the day barely six minutes after the House met.