Protests mar both Houses of Parliament; TDP, AIADMK MPs disrupt Sushma Swaraj's address on 39 Indians in Iraq
Another day passed by with little legislative business being conducted in Parliament as parties from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh continued their protests.
Another day passed with little legislative business being conducted in either House of Parliament on Tuesday, as parties from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh continued their protests.
The Rajya Sabha was first adjourned for the day after parties from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh disrupted proceedings over their state-specific demands. The protesting MPs from the AIADMK, DMK and TDP entered the Well soon after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj made a statement on the 39 missing Indians in Iraq and Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad made brief remarks.
The TDP and TRS members were shouting slogans for special status for Andhra Pradesh, while Tamil Nadu parties — DMK and AIADMK — raised the Cauvery water issue.
Swaraj informed the House that all 39 Indians, who were abducted by Islamic State in Iraq nearly three years ago, were killed and their bodies have been recovered. As many as 40 Indians were originally abducted by terrorist organisation Islamic State in June 2015 from Mosul in Iraq but one of them escaped by posing as a Muslim from Bangladesh, Swaraj said. The other 39 Indians were taken to Badoosh and killed.
File image of Parliament. PTI
Amid the protest, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said the government was ready to discuss all issues. Goel said the Narendra Modi-led government has done good work and is "not afraid of anything", amid thumping of benches by BJP members.
In an effort to bring order in the House, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said that he has been stressing from day one that all important issues, including the banking scam and the Cauvery issue, should be debated. As protesting members kept standing in the Well, Naidu adjourned the House for the day.
The Lok Sabha then followed suit as members created a din to prevent Swaraj from making her statement.
As the protests continued, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan repeatedly asked the House for decorum. When the noise refused to die down, she said that notices of no-confidence motion cannot be taken up as the House was not in order. She then adjourned the House for the day.
On Monday as well, Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day without transacting any business after parties from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh disrupted proceedings.
With inputs from PTI
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