Ruckus in parliament over railway budget

Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were disrupted in the first half Wednesday, as opposition members created a ruckus over the Railway Budget.

In the Lok Sabha, as soon as the question hour began Wednesday morning, angry Trinamool Congress members shouted slogans and disrupted the proceedings of the house, protesting the Railway Budget and also against the alleged misbehaviour of some BJP MPs in the house Tuesday.

The house was adjourned for a brief period as the MPs protesting against the railway budget went near the speaker's podium and shouted slogans.

Carrying placards, the Trinamool members led by Kalyan Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee shouted slogans demanding "justice" for West Bengal in the Railway Budget and condemning the alleged attack on a woman party MP Tuesday.

The protesting members also raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP.

The lower house saw an ugly spat between Trinamool and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members during protests over the Railway Budget.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan objected to display of placards inside the house and warned the protesting members.

Some Kerala MPs were also seen protesting the alleged discrimination against their state in the rail budget.

As the ruckus continued, Trinamool leader Kalyan Banerjee was seen making some objectionable remarks against the speaker, which led to the entire ruling coalition standing up and protesting. Soon the house was adjourned till noon.

When the house assembled again, Banerjee apologised to the speaker, after which the Lok Sabha resumed a discussion on price rise.

Sumitra Mahajan pulled up the MPs for their misbehaviour.

"The undignified conduct of some members since yesterday is extremely unfortunate. We all have been hurt by disruptions in the house during the last few days," she said, deprecating the use of "unbecoming" language, raising slogans and displaying placards in the house.

The lower house then took up a debate on price rise.

In the Rajya Sabha, the question hour was disrupted by protests over the Railway Budget.

As soon as the house assembled for the day, Trinamool Congress members led by Derek O'Brien started protests over the Railway Budget.

Congress members alleged that the budget was leaked even before it was presented and displayed a newspaper clipping. Members of other parties were also seen on their feet.

Amid the din, the upper house was first adjourned briefly and then till noon.

When the house reassembled for the zero hour, Communist Party of India-Marxist MP P. Rajeev said over 1.5 lakh files of historical importance in the home ministry were destroyed by the new government, and slammed the NDA regime for trying to change the nation's history.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad denied the allegation, but opposition continued to protest, demanding a clarification from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In the din, Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien adjourned the house till 2 p.m.

At 2 p.m. the upper house resumed normal business and took up a discussion on deficient rainfall.