Parliament fails to transact business

Parliament failed to transact any business yet again on Monday, as the last week of the ongoing budget session commenced. This session officially ends on Friday.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the Lok Sabha shortly after noon, after she failed to take up no-confidence notices as the House was not in order because of AIADMK protests in the Well on their demand for the constitution of a Cauvery Water Management Board.

The Speaker once again said that she had received no-confidence notices from YV Subba Reddy (YSR CP), Thota Narasimham (TDP), Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress) and others.

However, AIADMK protests got louder in the Well of the House, drowning her voice.

Congress members stood quietly at their seats, occasionally raising their hands. Mr. Kharge was trying to say something but his voice was drowned in the din. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said the government was ready for a discussion, but his voice too was drowned amid loud protests from AIADMK members, who were waving placards.

TDP members were also standing at their seats awaiting the no-confidence notices to be taken up.

The Speaker said that she could not take up the no-confidence notices and could not count 50 members amid protests in the Well. As the House was not in order, she adjourned the House till 11 am on Tuesday.

In the Rajya Sabha too, Opposition protests forced the adjournment of proceedings for the day without transaction of any business. MPs belonging to the Congress, TMC, BSP, TDP and those of Tamil Nadu parties, DMK and AIADMK, were in the Well pressing their demands.

The Congress and the BSP led the charge against the government, accusing it of being “anti-Dalit.”

The AIADMK and DMK MPs were demanding immediate constitution of the Cauvery Water Management Board for division of river water between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

(With PTI inputs)