The Rajya Sabha was adjourned on Friday amid unruly scenes of AIADMK members breaking mikes and throwing papers in the air, even as the DMK protested against the Chair proceeding with conducting private members’ business.
The House also witnessed acrimonious exchanges between DMK members and Congress member Renuka Chowdhury soon after she left the Chair while adjourning the House to meet again on April 22 after recess.
Both, the DMK and the AIADMK members, repeatedly entered the well of the House on the Sri Lanka Tamils issue, forcing frequent adjournments. “We want justice,” some shouted.
However, in the post-lunch session, when Ms. Chowdhury asked BJP member P.K. Rupala to introduce his private member bill, DMK leader T. Siva shouted: “this is not correct. This was not the understanding.”
Ms. Chowdhury earlier asked Mr. Siva if he wanted to move his private member bill and he apparently declined as he was protesting I >ndia’s position on the human rights resolution on Sri Lanka.
At the same time, AIADMK leader V. Maitreyan, who carried a placard showing posters of slain LTTE leader Prabhakaran’s son, went up to Mr. Rupala and in a bid to stop him from introducing his bill, snatched the papers from his hand.
When Ms. Chowdhury, who was surrounded by the agitating members, continued running the House, Mr. Maitreyan reached her Chair and began twisting the microphones and ultimately pulled out two even as marshals tried to restrain him.
“This is not acceptable,’’ said Ms. Chowdhury and adjourned the House for the day.
Apparently as she stepped down from the Chair, Ms. Chowdhury made a remark which infuriated the DMK members. “What are you saying’’ asked Vasanthi Stanley. “Are we animals?’’ shouted Selvaganapathi (DMK) adding that they would not allow Ms. Chowdhury to occupy the Chair.
As tempers rose, several members from the Congress, including Jairam Ramesh, Ambika Soni, R.P.N. Singh and BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad intervened and tried to placate the agitated DMK and AIADMK members.
Ms. Chowdhury, who left the House, later returned and apologised.
Mr. Siva was so agitated that he first asked for water and as he felt uneasy he had to be shifted to hospital for observation. An ambulance was called in and the in-house doctor rushed to his aid.
On Wednesday, while protesting on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, Ms. Stanley fainted in the Well and had to be rushed to hospital in an ambulance.
Earlier, soon after Chairman Hamid Ansari made a reference to World Water Day being observed on Friday, DMK and the AIADMK members rushed to the well of the House. Mr. Siva said he had given notice for the suspension of question hour to raise the issue of the resolution on Sri Lanka. He alleged that India made no attempt to ensure a stronger censure of the Sri Lankan government on the allegations against it.
CPI’s D. Raja also rose to make a point but was not audible in the din.
Asking members not to disrupt proceedings and not to show placards, Mr. Ansari tried to bring order, but when the pandemonium continued, he adjourned the House till noon.
As the members continued their protest in the post-lunch session, the House was adjourned again.
