Chairman Hamid Ansari blocked telecast of Rajya Sabha proceedings during question hour on Thursday, as soon as BJP members trooped into the well raising slogans against the government, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Law Minister Ashwani Kumar in the coal blocks allocation issue.
With Opposition members disrupting proceedings, no business could be conducted for the third consecutive day in the Upper House, while the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day, as soon as it met, as a mark of respect to sitting Trinamool Congress member Ambica Banerjee, who died in the morning.
In the Rajya Sabha, the Left parties held banners on the chit fund fraud in West Bengal that read, “protect interest of subscribers and agents of Saradha Chit Fund,” while Asom Gana Parishad members carried posters opposing proposed transfer of land to Bangladesh.
Samajwadi Party members trooped into the well raising the issue of Chinese incursion soon after the House commenced. Outside the House, they protested denial of opportunity to the former Communications Minister A. Raja to depose before the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the 2G scam and said they would oppose the JPC report. However, the SP’s Naresh Agarwal told reporters that the party did not back BJP demand for removal of JPC chief P.C. Chacko.
Raising the coal block issue, BJP members shouted Sharam karo, sharam karo, Pradhan Mantri sharam karo (shame shame Prime Minister). Mr. Ansari asked the members to return to their seats and not to display placards but as the noisy scenes continued, he adjourned the House.
The din continued when it reassembled at 12 noon. While several BJP members entered the well, all others stood up on their seats in protest. Beimanon ki yeh sarkar nahi chalegi (“This government of corrupt people cannot run”), shouted those in the well even as a few Congress members tried to counter them.
Birendra Prasad Baishya and Kumar Dipak Das of the AGP also came into the well, waving posters that opposed transfer of Indian land to Bangladesh. Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien said a Constitution Amendment Bill on transfer of certain territories to Bangladesh was to be introduced but it could not be done in the prevailing pandemonium, and he adjourned the House for the second time.
