Protests, slogans disrupt Rajya Sabha proceedings (Third Lead)

The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday witnessed several adjournments as AIADMK members created a ruckus to demand action against former finance minister P. Chidambaram and his son Karti over corruption charges.

The upper house witnessed multiple adjournments soon after it met for the day at 11 a.m. before it was finally adjourned for the day at 3.45 p.m.

AIADMK members assembled in front of the chair as soon as the house met for the day and began raising slogans and demanding action against the Chidambarams.

"Arrest Chidambaram and his son" and "Take action against Chidambaram" AIADMK members shouted in the upper house as Chairman Hamid Ansari and Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien tried to conduct the proceedings amid the protest.

The chair kept asking the protesting members to sit down as the motion of thanks on President Pranab Mukherjee's address to the joint sitting o the two houses was to be taken up, but they did not relent. They continued with the sloganeering.

"Please sit down. We are going to take up an important issue," Kurien said.

The agitated AIADMK members, however, refused to listen, forcing the adjournment of the house till Wednesday morning.

Earlier, following the first uproar over the issue minutes into the day's proceedings, Kurien adjourned the house for 10 minutes, followed by a series of adjournments.

Kurien tried to pacify the AIADMK members, saying it was not in his hands to take action against the Congress leader and his son.

"This is an issue the chair has nothing to do with. If you want action against a private individual, you can approach the government. Why do you trouble me?" Kurien asked.

The scene was no different during the question hour and Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari tried to get replies to a few questions even as AIADMK members continued to raise slogans.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in December 2015 conducted raids in Chennai at the premises of firms allegedly connected to Karti, who later said neither he nor his family were shareholders in any of the companies.