Oppn uproar over bank scam disrupts RS proceedings again

NEW DELHI: Proceedings in the Rajya Sabha were virtually washed out on Tuesday due to continued opposition uproar over issues like the banking fraud, special package for Andhra Pradesh and demands for constitution of the Cauvery Water Management Board.

The House witnessed three adjournments during the day, with both Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien telling the opposition members that they were ready to hold discussions on the issues being raised by them. However, their appeals went unheeded throughout and the House was finally adjourned for the day at 3.35 pm.

As soon as the House assembled for the fourth time during the day at 3:30 PM, the opposition members again trooped into the Well raising slogans. Amid the din, Kurien adjourned the House for the day as the members remained unrelenting and continued to raise slogans and displaying placards on their demands over issues like PNB scam, Andhra Pradesh special package and setting up of the Cauvery Water Management Board. Earlier in the day, the House witnessed unruly scenes with members from the TDP, AIADMK and TMC trooping into the Well and raising slogans.

The Upper House was first adjourned soon after it assembled at 11 am, then again at 11:30 am and thereafter at 2 pm till 3.30 pm, when the chair finally called it a day.

Reacting to the disruptions, Chairman Naidu said, “I am not happy. I do not approve this sort of tactics. .... This is proving the public impression...parliament is not conducting itself in a dignified manner.” Chastising the members for shouting slogans and display banners, he said “this is not the way. This is Parliament. This is not a bazaar.”

“You are insulting yourself. You are making Parliament a laughing stock in front of the people of the country,” Naidu said before he adjourned the House twice during the day, finally till 2 PM.

In the afternoon, Kurien assured the agitating members that they would be heard oneby-one. But members continued with their protests. “The chair is ready to allow discussions on any subject,” said Kurien, adding, “by doing this you are stooping down to the level of hooligans”.

Display of placards is against the rules, he said and told members, “Do not do this... You members have dignity... This was not expected from members.”

He said “discussion and debate are the ways of parliamentary democracy and I would ask the government to respond you”.

However, the protesting members could not be pacified, following which Kurien adjourned the House till 3:30 pm. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel also told the opposition that the government was ready for a discussion on the banking scam.

“We are ready for a discussion. Irregularities in the banking sector are not from today but from years. We are ready to discuss banking irregularities and other issues. The government is not running away from this,” he said.

Earlier, TMC members raised slogans demanding that the alleged mastermind of the banking fraud Nirav Modi be brought back to the country.