Unrelenting members from TDP and Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF) today forced the adjournment of the Lok Sabha for the day, as they disrupted proceedings from the time the House met in the morning.
The House saw two adjournments during the pre-lunch sitting. While the Question Hour was adjourned for 15 minutes following uproar over the two issues, the House was adjourned for two hours during Zero Hour.
When the Lok Sabha reassembled after the second adjournment, similar scenes were witnessed with TDP members displaying placards in favour of a united Andhra Pradesh and raising slogans against the Centre’s decision to create a separate Telangana.
They were joined in the well by S. K. Bwiswmuthiary (BPF), who held a banner demanding a separate Bodoland.
Congress members from Telangana region too were on their feet, countering the slogans raised by TDP members and vociferously demanding a separate state.
As Deputy Speaker Karia Munda took up the listed business, the members continued with their protest.
In the din, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee introduced a Bill to consolidate laws relating to coinage and mints and their protection, and Home Minister P Chidambaram put forth another bill to raise salaries and allowances of ministers.
As pandemonium prevailed, the House took up a discussion on Naxalite and Maoist violence. CPI-M leader Basudeb Acharia rose to speak, but TDP and BPF members continued their slogan shouting.
Sharad Yadav (JD-U) requested the protesting members to return to their seats and urged the Chair to allow them to raise the issue very briefly so that the House could carry on with its business without disruptions.
Munda almost relented, but Lalu Prasad (RJD) said the House should decide if it wanted to debate the bifurcation of states or the Maoist violence and that members from all parties be allowed to speak on the issue.
This led to the Chair sticking to the business and asking Acharia to continue with the discussion on Maoist violence.
But the TDP members, who had briefly resumed their seats on Yadav’s request, returned to the well to continue with their protest.
The Deputy Speaker then adjourned the House for the day.
Earlier, the Lok Sabha was adjourned for 15 minutes soon after it met in the morning, as TDP members from coastal Andhra and Rayalseema disrupted proceedings protesting against the announcement for a separate Telangana.
As soon as the Question Hour began, TDP members opposed to division of Andhra Pradesh and displayed placards which said, “We want united AP”, and rushed to the well raising slogans.
TDP members K. Narayana Rao, M. Venu Gopala Reddy, N. Kristappa and N. Sivaprasad continued shouting slogans even as Speaker Meira Kumar asked them not to display placards, saying the members should observe the “sanctity” of the House.
Congress members from Telangana countered the TDP members by showing placards favouring a separate state and raised “Jai Telangana” slogans.
