Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Anand Sharma and Raj Babbar in Parliament on Wednesday. (Express Photo: Anil Sharma)
The logam in Parliament continued for the 13th consecutive day with both Houses being adjourned without conducting any business on Wednesday. In the Lok Sabha, members of the AIADMK and TRS continued with their protests, stalling the taking up of two notices of no-confidence motion against the council of ministers for the fourth day.
Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that she could not carry out a headcount of 50 members supporting the move, a prerequisite for taking up the notices for the trust vote. She later adjourned the House for the day.
Minutes after the House met on Wednesday morning, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings for an hour due to protests by parties from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. When the House reassembled at noon, members of the AIADMK, TDP and the TRS were seen raising slogans and holding placards in the well.
The AIADMK wants early establishment of the Cauvery river board to settle the water dispute with neighbouring states, while the TRS is demanding an increase in quota for Telangana. The TDP is demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh, among other things.
Expelled RJD member Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav was seen holding a placard demanding special status for Bihar. Members of the Congress, TMC and Left were standing at their seats. When the protests continued after the laying of papers by ministers, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar urged the members to return to their seats so that legislative business could be taken up.
“Government is willing to discuss any issue, including the no-confidence motion. We have the confidence of the House as well as of the entire country,” he said.
When the Speaker took up two notices for the trust vote given by the TDP and YSRC, the AIADMK members started shouting slogans more loudly in the House. TRS members were also seen in the well.
Mahajan said she could not move ahead due to the ruckus even though she was duty-bound to take up the notices. She noted that she was not in a position to count the 50 members supporting the move as she could not see anything from the chair. She said placards were blocking her view.
Members from the Congress, TMC and Left raised their hands to indicate to the Speaker that they were supporting the motion. But Mahajan said as the House is not in order, she cannot move ahead with the issue and adjourned the Lok Sabha for the day.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day within a few minutes with AIADMK and TDP members trooping to the well, followed by Congress. While AIADMK agitated over Cauvery issue, TDP continued with its demand for special status. The Congress joined in late, after Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad demanded that the House should discuss the recent decision of the Supreme Court on not allowing automatic arrest of bureaucrats under the SC/ST Act, besides External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s statement on the death of 39 Indians in Mosul. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel tried to pacify the Opposition by saying that the government is ready for any discussion but that failed to cut ice and Chairman Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the House for the day.