Congress, BJD protests lead Rajya Sabha to adjourn twice

NEW DELHI: Protests over "politics of vendetta" continued in Rajya Sabha for the second day today, with Congress members forcing two adjournments of the House till noon by storming the Well and raising anti-government slogans.

Even before Deputy Chairman P J Kurien could take his seat when the House assembled for the day, Congress members rushed into the Well shouting slogans like "Modi teri tanashahi nahi chalegi, nahi chalegi (dictatorship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be tolerated)."

BJD members also trooped into the Well carrying placards opposing the multi-purpose Polavaram irrigation project. The placards read "Polavaram will harm Odisha", "Condemn Polavaram. Stop Stop" and "We Oppose Polavaram."

Amid the din, Kurien got the listed papers of the day laid on the table of the House, but two of them to be laid by Congress members were not tabled.

Wansuk Syiem (Cong) did not move a petition signed by a Guwahati-resident praying for improvement and strengthening of non-lapsable central pool for resources (NLCPR) schemes in the North-Eastern Region, despite Kurien calling her repeatedly.

Syiem's party colleague Viplove Thakur also did not present the reports of the Department related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy.

"Laying of papers is your duty," Kurien told Thakur after she did not return to her seat from the Well to lay the reports.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affiars Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the Congress was insulting the mandate of the people and went on to suggest that the House should not be adjourned.

"Don't you know that displaying placards is not allowed," Kurien told BJD members. "Shouting slogan is also not allowed. Coming into well is also not allowed," he told the protesting Congress MPs.

He asked members to return to their places and allow the Zero Hour to proceed but no one heeded to his pleas, forcing him to adjourn the House till 11:30 hours.
Similar scenes continued when the House reassembled at noon with Congress members again entered the Well raising slogans against the government. BJD members too rushed in the Well with some of them carrying placards with slogans like 'Polavaram Will Harm Odish' and 'Stop Polavaram'.

Amid the din, Naqvi said important bills like the Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, were before the House. In addition, discussion on an important matter like price rise, which was demanded by Congress, was also listed, he added.

Everybody knows "history and geography" of Congress, Naqvi said, adding government was ready for discussion.

"If they (Congress) feel they are being discriminated, we are ready for a discussion," the Minister said.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad rose to speak something, but Kurien adjourned the House till noon as sloganeering continued.