Both houses of Parliament adjourned amid Opposition ruckus
NEW DELHI: The proceedings of the Rajya Sabha were adjourned twice during the pre-lunch period on Wednesday as opposition members continued their protests over the suspension of 12 MPs.
The Upper House was first adjourned soon after it met for the day and then again at noon till 2 PM, after opposition members created uproar seeking revocation of the suspension of the MPs.
As the House met earlier, placard-carrying opposition MPs trooped into the well of the House and shouted slogans against the suspension.
Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu expressed dismay at their conduct, and said the suspended MPs have shown no remorse, and there was no question of revoking their suspension.
"It is sacrilege of the House, I have said (on the conduct of the 12 suspended MPs during the last session in August). There is no remorse by members who have really insulted the parliamentary system," he said.
Naidu ordered that nothing that the opposition MPs say would go on record but said their conduct in the Well of the House should be shown to the people of the country.
When the House again met at 12 PM, the members continued with the protests and Deputy Chairman Harivansh urged the members to allow the Question Hour to function.
Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge sought to raise the issue of suspension but the Chair noted that Question Hour was on and nothing else could be raised.
However, opposition members raised uproar after Kharge was not allowed to raise the issue and the House was adjourned till 2 PM.
As the House met in the morning, Naidu said even after indulging in such unparliamentary behaviour the members did not express any remorse.
"Coming to the well of the House, climbing on the table, throwing papers, snatching papers from the minister and also challenging the Chair, doing everything which is unparliamentary, undemocratic and they have no remorse. What can we do?" Naidu asked.
He said placards should not be shown and brought into the House.
"If you are determined. You don't want to have Zero Hour (where), very important issues (are listed to be raised), special mentions are there. You don't want special mentions, you don't want Zero Hour, you don't want House to run, crores of rupees are spent on this House and people are getting dismayed at what is happening in this House," he said before adjourning the proceedings till 1200 hours.
No sooner had Jose K Mani taken oath as member of the Upper House and listed official papers laid on the table of the House, MPs from Congress and other opposition parties trooped into the well of the House shouting slogans.
Kharge wanted to speak but couldn't be heard in the din.
On Tuesday, Kharge had said that the motion for suspension moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi was in gross violation of the rules and action was taken in the current Winter Session of Parliament for alleged "unruly" conduct in the last session.
As many as 12 opposition MPs were suspended from the Rajya Sabha on Monday for the entire Winter session of Parliament for their "unruly" conduct in the previous session in August, even as the Opposition termed the suspension as "undemocratic and in violation of all the Rules of Procedure" of the Upper House.
Six suspended MPs are from the Congress, two each from the Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena, and one each from the CPI and CPM.
Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till noon on Wednesday amid continuous protests by members of the TRS over farmer issues.
This is the third consecutive day that the Question Hour was disrupted since the winter session of parliament commenced on Monday.
Members of the TRS shouted slogans and displayed placards over farmer issues in the Well of the House during the Question Hour.
Speaker Om Birla told the protesting members it was not the right thing to do and emphasised that the Question Hour was important.
"When a senior member is speaking, you (people) are protesting. What kind of practice are you trying to bring into the House," a peeved Birla told the protesting members.
The speaker also urged the members to make efforts to ensure that such wrong behaviour and practices are stopped in the House.
"Your behaviour in the House is not right, it is wrong and the House cannot run like this. I had given you time to raise the issue," Birla said.
Four questions and their supplementaries were taken up during the Question Hour which went on for nearly half-an-hour.
As the protests by the members of TRS continued, Birla adjourned the proceedings till noon.
To a supplementary question asked by DMK member T Sumathy alias Thamizhachi Thangapandian in English, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw replied in English and Hindi.
Some opposition members, including TMC's Saugata Roy, wondered why the minister replied in Hindi when the question was asked in English.
The speaker said the House has facilities for translation of languages.
Later, while replying to another supplementary question by DMK leader T R Baalu, Vaishnaw greeted him in Tamil before answering the query.
"I would like to say 'vanakkam' (greetings) to the honourable member and 'eppadi erukuringa' (how are you?) to you, sir so that my friends who were reacting earlier at least," the minister said.
Earlier, Birla welcomed representatives from Mongolian Parliament who were present in the visitors' gallery to watch the House proceedings.