Bisheshwar Mishra / New Delhi
Rajya Sabha got adjourned 10 times today due to repeated disruptions. Government was unable to pass the anti-corruption bill as several opposition members demanded division of votes. But the division of the votes could not be taken up by the deputy chairman P J Kurian in the din as most of the opposition members were in the well of the House shouting slogans. So after repeated attempts Kurean adjourned the House for the day.
Soon after 10 new members and two old members Bhupender Yadav and Jaya Bachchan took oath as joining Rajya Sabha, Telugu Desum members, AIADMK members and some Congress members trooped into the well shouting slogans against the government. The AIADMK members wanted the Kaveri water issues to be taken up for discussion. The Congress members wanted the SC/ST bill issue to be taken up and the TDP members wanted the Special Status of Andhra Pradesh to be taken up for discussion. The treasury benches on the other hand wanted the anti-corruption bill to be discussed and passed.
Meanwhile opposition members in the well were seen showing placards “save Andhra Pradesh,” and some Congress and BSP members were shouting slogans were heard saying “dalit virodhi ye sarkar..(anti- dalit this government)”,drew sharp rebuttal from Minister of Parlaiemntary affairs Vijay Goel. He accused Congress of disrupting the House proceedings for the past 17 days. He said they have not allowed Rajya Sabha to transact any serious business due their continued protests over several issues.
The leader of the opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad insisted that besides being responsible for the passage of bills, MPs represent the people of India and have been mandated to raise issues of concern of millions of people. He said both the ruling party and the earlier government had given a commitment to grant special status to Andhra Pradesh after its reorganisation, which should be implemented now. He said the Opposition wants a discussion on the banking scams and the CBSE paper leak and also on the SC/ST Act as the law has been made for their protection.
Soon after Azad spoke, members from the TDP stormed the Well of the House carrying “Save Andhra Pradesh” placards and implementation of the AP Reorganisation Act. This was happening when the House had convened for the day. The chairman Venkaiah Naidu objected to the protesting members trooping into the well and shouting slogans. Ä number of bills are pending and a handful of people are holding the House. This is not proper. You go back to your seats.” He reminded members that only one day was left to pass important bill like the anti corruption bill. However, he was forced to adjourn the House.
Subsequently when the House resumed its proceedings, with deputy chairmen P J Kurien in the chair tried to run the House in order so that the anti-corruption bill could be taken up for discussion. The bill was introduced by Union Minister Jitender Singh.Kurien then asked members to give their names for discussion. But only protests and slogan shouting was heard. So he said since no names have come for discussion he said he was putting the bill for voice vote. This was followed by loud protests from the opposition benches. The bill was however put to voice vote and in the din it was passed.
However, the Trinamul Congress member Sukhendu Shekhar Roy demanded vote by division. P J Kurean requested members protesting in the well to go back to their seats but they ignored the deputy chairman’s appeal and continued to shout. So Kurian adjourned the House for 10 minutes. And thereafter it kept getting adjourned till 5.15 PM repeatedly and was finally adjourned for the day.
Meanwhile in a separate press conference, Congress party has charged a BJP minister of financial fraud and demanded an independent judicial investigation into it by a sitting Supreme Court Judge. In a statement issued by Ghulam Nabi Azad, Veerappa Moily and Pawan Khera, have highlighted a report of `The Wire’ news agency. The report according to them showed “the Promoter of Company in Default of Rs 650 crore has ties to Mr Piyush Goyal, have come up giving details of default on loans totalling Rs 650 crores by Shirdi Industries of which Mr Goyal, a members of this house and a Cabinet Ministe was Chairman till the year 2010.
“The report also states that the said Company has extended unsecured loan vial another entity to the company run by Mr Goyal’s wife, Intercon Advisers Pvt Ltd. Since the matter is of serious concern, we would like to intimate that we intend to raise the issue in the House,” the Congress leaders have asserted in a signed statement issued today, even as the Rajya Sabha session was on.