Cong, BJD protests lead RS to adjourn twice

Protests over "politics of vendetta" continued in Rajya Sabha for the second day today, with Congress members forcing two adjournments of the House till noon by storming the Well and raising anti-government slogans.
Even before Deputy Chairman P J Kurien could take his seat when the House assembled for the day, Congress members rushed into the Well shouting slogans like "Modi teri tanashahi nahi chalegi, nahi chalegi (dictatorship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be tolerated)."
BJD members also trooped into the Well carrying placards opposing the multi-purpose Polavaram irrigation project. The placards read "Polavaram will harm Odisha", "Condemn Polavaram. Stop Stop" and "We Oppose Polavaram."

Amid the din, Kurien got the listed papers of the day laid on the table of the House, but two of them to be laid by Congress members were not tabled.
Wansuk Syiem (Cong) did not move a petition signed by a Guwahati-resident praying for improvement and strengthening of non-lapsable central pool for resources (NLCPR) schemes in the North-Eastern Region, despite Kurien calling her repeatedly.
Syiem's party colleague Viplove Thakur also did not present the reports of the Department related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy.

"Laying of papers is your duty," Kurien told Thakur after she did not return to her seat from the Well to lay the reports.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affiars Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the Congress was insulting the mandate of the people and went on to suggest that the House should not be adjourned.
"Don't you know that displaying placards is not allowed," Kurien told BJD members. "Shouting slogan is also not allowed. Coming into well is also not allowed," he told the protesting Congress MPs.
Similar scenes continued when the House reassembled at
noon with Congress members again entered the Well raising slogans against the government. BJD members too rushed in the Well with some of them carrying placards with slogans like 'Polavaram Will Harm Odish' and 'Stop Polavaram'.

Amid the din, Naqvi said important bills like the Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, were before the House. In addition, discussion on an important matter like price rise, which was demanded by Congress, was also listed, he added.
Everybody knows "history and geography" of Congress, Naqvi said, adding government was ready for discussion.
"If they (Congress) feel they are being discriminated, we are ready for a discussion," the Minister said.
(Reopens PAR10)
When the House reassembled, the issue of lack of quorum was raised by Congress leader Anand Sharma as a point of order.

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said he can raise the issue of quorum only when he starts the proceedings.
As he read out the business for the Private Members' Business, Kurien raised the quorum issue and then directed the ringing of the quorum bell and taking a count of the members present in the House.
During this, Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad got up and said quorum was the responsibility of the government and if they cannot do it, then the responsibility should be handed over to the Opposition.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the Opposition has a role in running of the House as well as its adjournment. He also wanted to recite a couplet but the Chair said nothing can go on record so long as a decision on quorum is taken.

Following a final count after the bell was rung twice, Kurien adjourned the House for the day, within minutes after it reconvened, due to lack of quorum.
Interestingly, some Congress members present in the House left just seconds before the House had reassembled.