Rajya Sabha adjourned as opposition continues protest

Uproarious scenes by opposition and NDA partner TDP seeking a probe into India's largest Rs 12,700 crore banking scam and special status to Andhra Pradesh disrupted Rajya Sabha proceedings for the ninth consecutive day today.

The House was adjourned for the day in the afternoon after witnessing two adjournments earlier in the day.

Minutes after the Upper House reassembled at 3 PM, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien who was in the Chair rose to his feet and urged the opposition to take up the Finance Bill and Appropriation Bills as members from TDP, AIADMK and Congress trooped into the Well raising slogans and carrying placards.

"Please listen to my request...There is Finance Bill... Appropriation Bills...If you don't consider (them), Rajya Sabha will beocme irrelevant. I will dispose (these) in five minutes," Kurien urged the members.

To this, Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said "No Bill can just be finished in five minutes".

However, as the slogan-shouting continued, Kurien adjourned the House for the day, saying "I will have to adjourn the House and the responsibility of not discussing or taking up Finance Bill is on the shouting members".

Earlier, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley moved a statutory resolution to approve a notification of March 1 which seeks to increase the basic custom duty on chickpeas, falling under a tariff item of the Customs Tariff Act from 40 to 60 per cent.

When the House had met at 3 PM, former minister TDP MP YS Chowdhary, who was earlier allowed by Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to make a statement under Rule 241 on the reasons for quitting the Union Cabinet, said he wanted to complete his statement.

However, Kurien did not permit him, saying "I am not denying your right...The point is, the statement was allowed in the morning and it could not be completed...on what ground (that) I am not aware...You can request the honourable Chairman tomorrow."
He tried to take up a short duration discussion on the scams in public sector banks, saying the notice for the short duration discussion "has been admitted and the government is ready for discussions on it."