Turmoil in Rajya Sabha leads to adjournment for the day

The Rajya Sabha was disrupted again Monday over Telangana and other issues, and finally adjourned for the day after the crucial bill on street vendors could not be introduced as the minister concerned was not in the house.

As soon as the upper house met at 12.30 p.m., after the general budget was presented in the Lok Sabha, MPs from the Telugu Desam Party and the Congress opposing formation of Telangana trooped near the chairman's podium, raising slogans.

Banners demanding "unite Andhra Pradesh", and "save Andhra Pradesh" were held up in front of Chairman Hamid Ansari, as routine tabling of papers was undertaken.

Members from the DMK and AIADMK also protested over the plight of Tamil fishermen.

Amid the din, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram tabled the interim budget. Ansari then adjourned the house till 2 p.m.

Similar scenes were witnessed when the house met again at 2 p.m.

While ruckus continued, Law Minister Kapil Sibal introduced the Delhi High Court (Amendment) Bill.

Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien next called Girija Vyas for introducing the Street Vendors Bill.

However, to the government's embarrassment, the minister was not present in the house.

Minister of State for Human Resource Development Shashi Tharoor, meanwhile, rushed to the deputy chairman and urged him to let him introduce The National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill. Kurien, however, did not allow that.

The deputy chairman stressed that the Street Vendors Bill is an "important bill", and members should allow the bill to be introduced. Soon after, he adjourned the house for the day.