Ruckus in Parliament over Karnataka crisis, BJP rejects charges of poaching

Both the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday witnessed ruckus over the political situation in Karnataka with Congress accusing the ruling BJP of pursuing "poaching politics" and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh rubbishing the allegations, saying the Congress party failed to put its own house in order.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day after two brief adjournments over the issue while the Lok Sabha witnessed commotion where the opposition-led by Congress protested vehemently and later staged a walkout.

Soon after the Rajya Sabha met for the day, the Congress and the Trinamool Congress members stood on their seats in a bid to table their concerns. Congress wanted to discuss the issue of Karnataka, while the Trinamool wanted to raise the issue of disinvestment of 42 PSUs.

As Naidu rejected their notices for suspension of Zero Hour, the Congress and the Trinamool members trooped near the chair and started sloganeering. Naidu adjourned the House till 12 noon. This was the first adjournment of the Rajya Sabha in the ongoing session.

When the House reassembled, Deputy Chairman Harivansh tried to conduct Question Hour but the Congress members again trooped into the well, raising slogans. Trinamool members followed them protesting against the disinvestment in PSUs.

Harivansh urged the agitating members to go back to their seats but the MPs did not pay heed. He then adjourned the house till 2 p.m.

The house was adjourned for the day immediately after it was assembled following the second adjournment.

In Lok Sabha, the Karnataka issue was sought to be raised by Congress members after the Question Hour but Speaker Om Birla said that the matter was raised on Monday. The Congress members later resorted to sloganeering that led to the Speaker expressing his strong disapproval and asking them not to make the Lok Sabha look like a municipal corporation.

The Speaker rejected the adjournment motion notice given by Congress members.

Congress members, who persisted with their demand, first protested from their seats and later went to the well of the house, raising slogans like "we want justice" and "stop dictatorship".

Later, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury accused the BJP of pursuing "poaching politics" to dislodge the Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka and said the ruling party could next target the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh.

Chowdhury said "democracy was in danger" due to actions of BJP-led government and "poaching politics should be stopped."

As his remarks concluded, the Congress members staged a walkout in Lok Sabha. The DMK and some other regional parties too joined the Congress.

Responding to the allegations, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accused the Congress of failing to put its own house in order in Karnataka and disturbing the proceedings of the Parliament.

"Whatever is happening (in Karnataka), it is an internal matter of the Congress. They are unable to put their own house in order and are disturbing the House. This can never be termed right," he said.

Singh, who is Deputy Leader of the House, said that Congress was raising the issue again after it had raised it on Monday and was misusing the opportunity given to it.

The Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka has plunged into a political crisis following the resignation of 11 MLAs on Saturday.