Parliament deadlocked for 3rd consecutive day

It was the repeat of scenes in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha as witnessed during the last three days, with Opposition members shouting slogans and storming the Well to press their demand, which has been rejected by the government.

AIADMK members joined BJP in the demand in both the Houses. In Lok Sabha, a number of AIADMK members also joined them in the well.

Interestingly in the Rajya Sabha, JD-U member Sabir Ali, whose party has been favouring a debate on the issue instead of disruptions, also trooped into the Well with BJP members and shouted slogans. He had yesterday told reporters outside Parliament that the issue should be discussed in Parliament as public money is involved in the running of the House.

Other members of JD-U - N K Singh and Shivanand Tiwari - remained seated when the BJP members raised slogans like "Yeh jo Congress ke chehre pe laali hai, Koyale ki dalali hai (The glow on the face of Congress is because of brokership in coal block allocation)."

Members from the treasury benches sought to counter the Opposition`s slogan of `Pradhan Mantri Istifa Do (Prime Minister Resign)` by shouting Pradhan Mantri Zindabad (Hail the Prime Minister).

The Rajya Sabha witnessed three adjournments till 2 PM, while there were two adjournments in the Lok Sabha. It was trouble as soon as the two Houses met for the day. In the Lok Sabha, BJP members rushed to the Well to demand the Prime Minister`s resignation.

Countering the opposition offensive, Congress members were seen in the aisles waving copies of newspapers and raising slogans against the BJP. They displayed newspaper reports which said some state governments headed by BJP in 2005 had opposed auction of coal blocks, saying it would hit the industry.

The House plunged into turmoil as members of Opposition and Treasury benches clashed, with Congress members insisting that it was the BJP which had opposed auction of coal blocks and was now blaming the Centre for it.

Interestingly, members of JD-U, a key constituent of the BJP-led NDA, did not join the BJP members in the Well. The BJP has been on the offensive in demanding Singh`s resignation, while the JD-U has been pressing for a debate.

Amid din, Speaker Meira Kumar called for the Question Hour, but adjourned the House till noon.
When the House re-assembled at noon, members from BJP and AIADMK trooped into the Well raising slogans.

S K Bwiswmuthiary (Independent member from Kokrajhar) was also in the Well raising the problems of Bodo refugees living in transit camps of Assam.

Francisco Sardinha, who was in the Chair, adjourned the House till 2 PM after ordering laying of papers. The Rajya Sabha also witnessed ruckus the moment Chairman Hamid Ansari took up the first listed business.

When the House assembled for the day, BJP-led NDA members shouted slogans demanding resignation of the Prime Minister. The treasury benches countered them by shouting slogans hailing the Prime Minister.

Amidst the slanging match, Chairman Hamid Ansari called the first listed question and asked members to resume their places. "No slogan shouting please," he said. "Please sit down".

Congress members briefly heeded to his pleas but were up on their feet again as Opposition was unrelenting in its slogan shouting.

Ansari then adjourned the House till noon and called leaders of various political parties to his chamber for discussion. "I would request leaders of all political parties and groups to come to my chamber," he said.

When the House met again at noon, similar scenes were witnessed and it was adjourned till 12.30 PM after laying of papers. Uproarious scenes were witnessed again when the House re-assembled.

Interestingly, no minister was present in the House at that time and only a handful of Congress members were seen in the Treasury benches. Amid din, P J Kurien, who was in the Chair, adjourned the House till 2 PM.