The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Thursday was adjourned for the day after legislators of the Opposition parties protested over various matters, including Cauvery water sharing row and Rafale jet deal, PTI reported.
Thursday marked the 17th anniversary of the terror attack on Parliament in which nine people were killed. Both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha paid their respects to the victims of the attack before starting proceedings.
The Lok Sabha started proceedings with the reading out of an obituary reference to Congress leader MH Ambareesh who died on November 25. As soon as the Question Hour started, MPs from the Congress, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Telugu Desam Party shouted slogans and trooped to the Well of the House. Venkateshwara Rao of the Telugu Desam Party used a microphone installed in the Well to put up a poster seeking special status for Andhra Pradesh.
Speaker Sumitra Mahajan asked Rao not to use the mike and warned him that he will be named if he continued to do so. Once a member is named, they have to leave the House chamber.
Amid the sloganeering, Mahajan adjourned the house for nearly 10 minutes. When the Lok Sabha reconvened, Opposition members continued to protest in the Well of the House, following which Mahajan once again adjourned the House till noon.
As soon as the House reassembled, the Shiv Sena held protests demanding a law for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. Anandrao Adsul of the party alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party had won a full majority in the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 but had forgotten Hindutva.
However, as protests by the AIADMK, Telugu Desam Party and the Congress continued, Mahajan adjourned proceedings till Friday.
Rajya Sabha
The Upper House too had protests by Tamil Nadu parties over the Cauvery water row as soon as proceedings started. Members of the DMK and AIADMK trooped to the Well of the House with placards that read “Protect the Rights of Tamil Nadu”.
“I would like to urge members to at least allow the House today,” Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said as protests grew. “Nine persons had laid down their lives to protect Parliament. Wrong message will go.”
However, the protests did not stop and Naidu adjourned the proceedings till Friday.
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