Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House for the eighth day on Wednesday since the first no-confidence motion against the government.
“Everybody is ready to discuss the no-confidence motion. They are also ready, this side is also ready, but we cannot proceed like this.”
This is what Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said before she adjourned proceedings Wednesday for the eighth day since the first no-trust motion notice against the government. The proceedings were adjourned 11 minutes past noon.
This has been the scene in Lok Sabha since March 16 when the YSRCP and TDP gave notices for a motion of no-confidence.
Discounting the time spent in laying papers — it takes place at noon after the statutory question hour window — the total time spent on a substantive motion like the no-trust motion has been all of 16 minutes over eight days.
Click here for highlights from Wednesday’s session
House proceedings were disrupted initially by the TDP and YSRCP protesting the Centre’s refusal to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh. Ever since the two parties gave the no-confidence motion notice, their MPs have remained seated while AIADMK and TRS members have trooped to the well of the House, raising placards and shouting slogans with demands like “constitute Cauvery management board” and “Link MGNREGA to farm labour”. Since Tuesday, TRS MPs have also stopped protesting.
On Wednesday, it was only AIADMK MPs who were in the well, disrupting proceedings. Before the Speaker took up the no-confidence motion matter, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar stood up and accused the Congress of “stalling the House since the first day” while the Congress MPs remained seated.
Referring to placards brought by the Congress and other Opposition parties Tuesday to display the number of members supporting the no-confidence motion, Ananth Kumar said the very act was against proceedings of the House. He said the government was ready for a discussion on the no-confidence motion.
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said his party was ready for a discussion and the motion notice also had adequate support — notice on a no-confidence motion requires the support of 50 MPs for it to be taken up in the House.
This is what has happened on the no-confidence motion notices in Lok Sabha:
* Friday, March 16: 12.05-12.06 pm (One minute)
Speaker: Honourable members, I have received notices of Motion of No Confidence in the Council of Ministers from Shri Y V Subba Reddy and Shri Thota Narasimham. I am duty-bound to bring the notices before the House. Unless the House is in order, I will not be in a position to count the 50 members who have to stand in their assigned places so that I can ascertain as to whether the leave has been granted or not… Please go to your seats… I request all of you to go back to your seats. I am sorry..: Since the House is not in order, I will not be able to bring the notices before the House…
12.06 pm: The House stands adjourned to meet again on Monday, the 19th March, 2018 at 11 am.
* Monday, March 19: 12.06 to 12.08 pm (Two minutes)
Speaker: I have received notices of Motion of No Confidence in the Council of Ministers from Shri Y V Subba Reddy, Shri Thota Narasimham and Shri Jayadev Galla. I am duty-bound to bring the notices before the House. Unless the House is in order, I will not be in a position to count the 50 members who have to stand in their assigned places so that I can ascertain as to whether the leave has been granted or not. I am requesting the honourable members to please go to your seats. I can’t see anybody.
12.08 pm: The House stands adjourned to meet again on Tuesday, the 20th March 2018 at 11 am.
* Tuesday, March 20: 12.13-12.14 pm (One minute)
Speaker: I have received notices of Motion of No-Confidence in the Council of Ministers from Sarvashri Y V Subba Reddy and Thota Narasimhan. I am duty-bound to bring the notices before the House. Unless the House is in order, I will not be in a position to count the 50 members who have to stand in their assigned places so that I can ascertain as to whether the leave has been granted or not. Therefore, I request all of you to go back to your seats… This is not good. You should have some sensitivity towards the people of India. What kind of a politics is this? The confidence motions have to be discussed, but you are not cooperating… Since the House is not in order, I will not be able to bring the notices before the House.
12.14 pm: The House stands adjourned to meet again on Wednesday, the 21st March, 2018 at 11 am.
* Wednesday, March 21: 12.05 -12.07 pm (Two minutes)
Speaker: I have received notices of Motion of No Confidence in the Council of Ministers from Sarvashri Thota Narasimham and Y V Subba Reddy. I am duty-bound to bring the notices before the House. Please listen to me. Unless the House is in order, I will not be in a position to count the 50 members. I have to count the heads. I just cannot see anything from here. How can I count the heads? I have to count 50 members who have to stand in their assigned places so that I can ascertain as to whether the leave has been granted or not. I request all of you to go back to your seats. Please listen to me. I cannot even see anybody… Since the House is not in order, I will not be able to bring the notices before the House. I am sorry.
12.07 pm: The House stands adjourned to meet again on Thursday, the 22nd March, 2018 at 11 am.
* Thursday, March 22: 12.06-12.08 pm (Two minutes)
Speaker: Please go back to your seats. I have received notices of Motion of No Confidence in the Council of Ministers from Sarvashri Thota Narasimham and Y V Subba Reddy. I am duty-bound to bring the notices before the House. Unless the House is in order, I will not be in a position to count the 50 members who have to stand in their assigned places. I have to count the heads. I am not able to ascertain as to whether the leave has been granted or not. I cannot ascertain this. Therefore, I request all of you to go back to your seats. I just want to count the heads. I just cannot see anything. Since the House is not in order, I will not be able to bring the notices before the House.(SAD MP Prem Singh Chandumajra tried to seek a House holiday on the martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh)
12.08 pm: The House stands adjourned to meet again on Friday, the 23rd March, 2018 at 11 am.
* Friday, March 23: 12.06-12.09 pm (Three minutes)
Speaker: I have received notices of Motion of No Confidence in the Council of Ministers from Sarvashri Y V Subba Reddy and Thota Narasimham. I am duty-bound to bring the notices before the House. Unless the House is in order, I will not be in a position to count the 50 members who have to stand in their assigned places so that I can ascertain as to whether the leave has been granted or not. Therefore, I request all of you to go back to your seats… I want to take it up. Even honourable members sitting on my right side are ready to have discussion. If all of you agree, then only I can do this. You all may please cooperate. So, I would like to request you to go back to your seats. It cannot happen like this. Since the House is not in order, I will not be able to bring the notices before the House. I am sorry.
I have to make one announcement. Many honourable members have requested me that there is Ram Navmi on 25th of March 2018 and because of that a number of programmes have been organised and the honourable members will have to attend those programmes. So, many honourable members have requested me for declaring 26th of March as a holiday. I am accepting their request.
12.09 pm: The House stands adjourned to meet again on Tuesday, the 27th March, 2018 at 11 am.
* Tuesday, March 27: 12.07-12.09 pm (Two minutes)
Speaker: I have received notices of Motion of No Confidence in the Council of Ministers from Sarvashri Thota Narasimham, Mallikarjun Kharge, Y V Subba Reddy, P Karunakaran, Mohd. Salim, N K Premachandran, Srinivas Kesineni, P K Kunhalikutty, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, Jayadev Galla, Asaduddin Owaisi, P V Midhun Reddy and Jose K Mani. I am duty-bound to bring the notices before the House… Please go back to your seats. I cannot do like this. Unless the House is in order, I will not be in a position to count the 50 members who have to stand in their assigned places so that I can ascertain as to whether the leave has been granted or not. Therefore, I request all of you to go back to your seats. This is not the way. Please put down your placards. This is not the way. I am sorry to say this. Please go back to your seats. Since the House is not in order, I will not be able to bring the notices before the House… I cannot do anything. Please go back to your seats.
12.09 pm: The House stands adjourned to meet again on Wednesday, the 28th March, 2018 at 11 am.
* Wednesday, March 28: 12.08-12.11 pm (Three minutes)
Speaker: I am speaking about No Confidence Motion. But how can I proceed? I am sorry. I have received notices of Motion of No Confidence in the Council of Ministers from Sarvashri Thota Narasimham, Y V Subba Reddy, Konakalla Narayana Rao, Srinivas Kesineni, N K Premachandran, Mohd. Salim, P Karunakaran, P V Midhun Reddy, P K Kunhalikutty, Mallikarjun Kharge, M Srinivasa Rao, Asaduddin Owaisi and Jayadev Galla. I am duty-bound to bring the notices before the House. But unless the House is in order, I will not be in a position to count the 50 members. How can I count? It is not possible. All of you will have to go to your seats. I am sorry. I am not able to ascertain as to whether the leave has been granted or not. I cannot ascertain this. This is not the way. How can I count? Please go back to your seats. Everybody is ready to discuss No-Confidence Motion. They are also ready, this side is also ready, but we cannot proceed like this… Since the House is not in order, I will not be able to bring the notices before the House. I am sorry. Honourable members, this is not the way. I am sorry. I cannot hear anybody.
12.11 pm: The House stands adjourned to meet on Monday, the 2nd April, 2018 at 11 am.