TDP, Congress create ruckus in RS, House adjourned till 2.30 p.m.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2.30 p.m. on Friday amid protests by members from Andhra Pradesh seeking special status for the state and the Congress demanding discussion on a privilege notice against Union Minister Kiren Rijiju for targeting Renuka Chowdhury on Twitter.

Soon after the House reassembled after its adjournment till noon, Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu informed the members about the health of member A.V. Swamy from Odisha, who fell down in the Parliament premises.

TMC member Derek O'Brian then urged the chair to continue with budget discussion and do away with the Question Hour.

Taking the sense of the House, Naidu asked Samajwadi Party member Neeraj Shekhar to continue with his speech.

But the members from Andhra Pradesh including TDP's C.M. Ramesh and Congress's K.V.P. Ramchandra Rao trooped near Chairman's podium and started sloganeering over the issue of special status to the state.

Congress member Renuka Chowdhury was also heard seeking to know from the Chair about the status of her privilege notice against Minister of State for Home Affairs Rijiju.

Responding to it, Naidu said: "You meet me in the chamber not in the House." But Chowdhury and other Congress members continued with their demand.

To this, Naidu said: "Let me go through the notice. Then I will decide."

As the ruckus continued, the Chair then adjourned the House till 2.30 p.m.

Rijiju on Thursday had posted a clip of mythological character Surpanakha from Ramanand Sagar's epic serial on Doordarshan "Ramayana" hinting probably about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dig at Chowdhury during his reply to the motion of thanks to the President's address.

Earlier, Naidu was forced to adjourn the House till noon due to ruckus created by members from the TDP.

Soon after the House met for the day Naidu conducted important legislative business and allowed the members to raise their issues in the Zero Hour.

However, a group of members from Andhra Pradesh trooped near the Chairman's podium and started sloganeering.

"We want justice," the agitating members, including C.M.Ramesh, were heard saying.

Naidu urged the members to go back to their seats but they continued their protests.

When they continued with their protest despite his request, Naidu said he could not run the House amid ruckus and then adjourned the Upper House till noon.

Earlier in the day, the TDP and YSR Congress members protested near Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament house complex raising slogans demanding 'justice' for Andhra Pradesh.

Friday is the last day of the first half of Budget Session. It will resume on March 5, and conclude on April 6.

--IANS

bns/in/vm