Hate speech row: Rajya Sabha adjourned till noon

NEW DELHI: After stalling Rajya Sabha last week demanding sacking of Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti for her controversial remarks, Opposition parties led by Congress today forced adjournment of the House till noon demanding a resolution condemning hate speeches.

Congress members wanted the House to vote on its resolution condemning and disapproving any "inflammatory and derogatory" statement by any minister or member of Parliament, but treasury benches strongly opposed it saying no resolution can be brought without permission of the Chair.

The two sides indulged in slogan shouting, forcing Deputy Chairman P J Kurien to adjourn the House till noon soon after it met for the day.

After laying of listed papers, Kurien took up Zero Hour submissions, but almost the entire Opposition wanted him to allow Anand Sharma, Deputy Leader of Congress in Rajya Sabha, to speak.

Kurien said he was allowing Sharma to speak with a request that Zero Hour be taken up after his submission.

Finance Minister and Leader of the House Arun Jaitley said, "You (Deputy Chairman) have allowed him (Sharma) on the condition that thereafter they allow you to conduct Zero Hour. Therefore, are they going to allow you to conduct Zero Hour?"

Kurien said that is my request. Sharma said the entire opposition had first demanded resignation of the minister over her controversial statements which was not agreeable to the government. They then wanted a censure motion which too was not acceptable to the government.

As an alternative, "we have now proposed a two-line motion without naming anyone," he said before reading out a resolution that the House disapproves any inflammatory and derogatory statement made by MPs or ministers.

"I move the resolution," Sharma said. Nine opposition parties have demanded passage of a joint resolution condemning the remarks of the minister who, they said, deserves "outright removal".

Kurien said he had not given him permission to move any resolution.

"We have the majority. Let this be voted," Sharma said amidst strong protests from the treasury benches.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said no resolution can be moved without Chair's approval.

"No resolution can be moved without permission of the Chair. The Chairman has not given permission," Kurien said.

Jaitley said the condition on which the Deputy Chairman allowed Sharma to speak is not acceptable to him.

Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the opposition is defying the Chair.

Congress demand for the resolution to be put to vote found support from other Opposition parties including Left and SP.

"You are right in saying no resolution can be moved without permission of Chair. But Chair cannot also do anything without approval of House," Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) said, adding, "So put the resolution to vote."

Treasury benches too joined the chorus shouting slogan for allowing Zero Hour to be taken up.

"No resolution can be moved without Chairman's permission. The Chair has not allowed any resolution. There cannot be any voting," Kurien said as Congress members rushed into the Well shouting slogans demanding voting on the resolution.

He then adjourned the House till noon. When the House reassembled for Question Hour, Kurien adjourned it for 15 minutes.