Parliament adjourned for third day in a row

Both Houses of Parliament were disrupted for the third day in a row over division of Andhra Pradesh, and various other issues.

Three members in the Lok Sabha, including one from the Congress, gave notices of no-confidence motion against the government.

As soon as Lok Sabha met for the day, members from Andhra Pradesh cutting across party lines began shouting slogans for and against creation of Telangana and entered the Well.

The notices for no-confidence motion, given by G.V. Harsha Kumar of Congress, M. Venugopala Reddy (TDP) and M. Raja Mohan Reddy (YSR Congress) could not be taken up as Speaker Meira Kumar’s repeated pleas to the agitated members went unheeded.

As the din continued, Ms. Kumar adjourned the House for the day in the afternoon.

Since the House was not in order, Ms. Kumar said she could not ascertain whether the notices had the support of the requisite 50 MPs, and subsequently adjourned the proceedings till noon.

The government plans to bring the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill for carving out separate Telangana, but parties are divided on the issue.

In the Rajya Sabha also, except for laying of papers no business was transacted. Amidst the din the government, however, managed to table the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014 which gives effect to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

As soon as the House assembled, Chairman Hamid Ansari was on his feet asking concerned members to give notice for discussion on the death of a student from the northeast in Delhi and the plight of Tamil fishermen.

He said the House had been witnessing for several days now, deviations from decorum when members rush into the Well of the House. “I wish to inform the members that this will now be reflected in the proceedings of the House.’’

Even as he then called for question hour to commence, TDP members trooped into the well of the House carrying banners that read, “Save Andhra Pradesh’’. They were joined by DMK members with “save Tamil fishermen banners’’ prompting Mr. Ansari to adjourn the House till noon.

Similar scenes were witnessed at 12 noon with the TDP and the AIADMK members in the well and the BJP and AGP members on their feet demanding discussions on Agusta Westland scam and the death of a northeast student. As the din continued in the post-lunch session, the House was adjourned for the day without taking up private members’ legislative business.