The no-confidence motion moved by the erstwhile National Democratic Alliance partner, Telugu Desam Party, could not be taken up on Tuesday too as the House was adjourned for the day.
It is the twelfth day of the second leg of the Budget Session, but the Parliament has hardly seen any discussions in this sessions. Frequent disruptions have led to repeated adjournments.
Amid protests, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj informed both the Houses that the Indians who went missing in Iraq were all dead.
As it happened:
Of Statement, slogans, adjournment
The Lok Sabha reassembled at 12 noon. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj presented the statement she made in Rajya Sabha in the lower House too, but couldn't make the full speech due to interruptions.
The House was clearly not in order. The AIADMK and TRS members trooped into the Well of the House while members from CPI(M), NCP, SP, among others were seen protesting from their seats.
Speaker Sumitra Mahajan says this is perhaps the first time in the history of Parliament that even such an important statement could not be made in the House. Has politics washed out all humanity and sensitivity, she asks.
AIMIM member Asaduddin Owaisi and a few CPI(M) members tried to pursue AIADMK and TRS members but in vain.
The Speaker says she received no-confidence motions from Y.V. Subba Reddy and Thota Narasimham but said she could'nt proceed if the House was not in order.
Lok Sabha adjourned for the day.
Rajya Sabha adjourned
On the death of missing Indians, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad begins to speak. "It is unfortunate that the persons are killed..." as he begins, he is interrupted by AIADMK members who raise slogans.
"We are interested in discussing all the issue," Mr. Azad says and adds the House should function. Mr. Azad says the Opposition wants discussion on banking scam, Special Category Status, and Cauvery issue.
Law Minister Ravishankar Prasad says the issues were all started in UPA era. "We are ready for discussion," he says.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Goel says the government is ready for discussion on any issue.
But the AIADMK members refuse to go back to the seats. They continue their sloganeering.
Rajya Sabha is adjourned for the day.
Indians who went missing in Iraq are dead: Sushma
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj makes a statement in Rajya Sabha on the status of of 39 Indians missing in Iraq.
Ms. Swaraj tells Rajya Sabha that the missing Indians are no more. She recalls the previous discussion in the House, where Congress member Partap Singh Bajwa said one Harjit Masih claims to have details about the missing persons.
The Minister says she had earlier spoken to Masih in Punjabi. "He was not willing to tell me how he escaped," she says and adds that she has concrete evidence that Masih was lying. Masih had escaped along with Bangladeshis with the help of a caterer with a fake name 'Ali,' she says. She claims the details were revealed to her by Massi's employer and the caterer who helped him.
A team of three External Affairs Ministry officials, including Minister of State Gen. (Retd.) V.K. Singh, were searching for the Indians in Badush in Iraq. The officials, with the help of Iraqi authorities, used deep penetration radars based on the information that some bodies were burnt in Badush. The bodies were exhumed and the mortal remains were sent to Baghdad, she says.
A total of 39 bodies were exhumed. "We collected DNA samples from India sent them to Iraq.... The tests were conducted in Baghdad. The samples were matching in 38 cases," she tells the House.
She credits her deputy General (Retd.) V.K. Singh for the tedious task of finding the missing Indians. She also thanks Iraq government for helping Indians.
The mortal remains will be brought back to India in a special flight. Mr. Singh will be travelling to Iraq to bring the mortal remains, she says.
Though it is unfortunate that the missing persons were not able to return alive, there is at least a closure in the three-year-old case, Ms. Swaraj says.
I request the House to pay respects to the departed souls, she says ending her statement.
"As a mark of respect to those Indians who were killed by ISIS in Iraq, we shall observe two minutes silence," the Rajya Sabha Chairman says. Members pay silent tributes.
Rajya Sabha proceedings begin. Papers are being laid on Table.
In Lok Sabha, Speaker proceeds with the Question Hour. Some members raise slogans. Proceedings continue amid sloganeering.
Lok Sabha adjourned.
The story so far
The Telugu Desam Party, who was an alliance partner of NDA until recently, withdrew its support alleging that the Centre is unwilling to grant Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh. While the government says it is will support the residuary Andhra Pradesh to develop its Capital Amaravati and sponsor the Polavaram project, and also provide a "package" to the State, it is not ready to grant the SCS status.
In Lok Sabha, the BJP enjoys a simple majority on its own with 272 MPs. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has also pledged its support to the BJP.
