The Lok Sabha, which was scheduled to take up the Finance Bill 2018-19 and the Appropriation bills for FY 2017-18 and 2018-19 today, was first adjourned till noon following uproar by members of the opposition and NDA allies like TDP and then for the day after the listed papers were laid.
Cut motions on demands for grants of the ministries of railways, agriculture and farmers' welfare and social justice and empowerment were also listed in the business agenda of the Lower House today, which could not be taken up.
In the Lok Sabha, both the Question Hour and the Zero Hour were washed out as scores of members from the TDP, Congress, AIADMK, TRS and Trinamool Congress trooped into the Well, forcing Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to first adjourn the proceedings for about 50 minutes soon after it had assembled for the day.
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Members of YSR Congress and TDP, which quit the central government last week but remains part of the ruling NDA, were demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh.
While the Congress and the Trinamool Congress raised the issue of Rs 12,700 crore fraud in Punjab National Bank, the TRS sought increased reservation quota and AIADMK wanted the government to set up Cauvery management board. Members from the Left parties were seen standing at their seats, holding some photographs. But the issue they wanted to raise could not be ascertained in the melee.
The Rajya Sabha proceedings were also washed out for the seventh day as protests by members including those from NDA allies continued on similar issues.
Soon after it assembled, the Upper House was adjourned till 2 pm as noisy protests continued, with the Trinamool Congress and other parties insisting that a discussion on the bank scam be held under rules that entail voting.
When the House met at 11 AM, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu urged the members to allow the proceedings, but adjourned the proceedings the moment MPs from parties of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, TMC and Congress were on their feet.
Naidu said debates on India's biggest bank fraud and other issues have been permitted under rule 176 that provides for a member to give notice of a Short Duration Discussion without the voting clause. But opposition insisted on a discussion on banking fraud under rule 168/169 which require voting.
Referring to the protests, he said seven days have been lost and appealed to leaders of parties and members to allow the House to function "because people are being impatient and (protests) show Parliament in poor light."
Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (TMC) said his party has given a notice for discussion on the PNB fraud issue under rule 168. He said rule 169 of Rules of Procedures of Conduct of Rajya Sabha requires 15 conditions to be met to have such a discussion and his notice meets all of them. "If my motion is not accepted, principle of natural justice will be denied," Roy said.
They soon started to rise from their places to protest and some MPs from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh started moving towards the Well, prompting Naidu to adjourn the proceedings till 2 pm.
Earlier, Naidu also asked members not to make comments while being seated. His remarks were in reference to catcalls being made from treasury benches when he called P Chidambaram to lay on the table a standing committee report on Home Affairs.
As Chidambaram was absent, some BJP members made certain remarks, provoking forceful protests and comments from opposition Congress side. Naidu ruled that no comment made by either side would go on record.
Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien, who was in the Chair, tried to take up a calling attention motion on strategic storage of crude oil in the country and asked BJP's C K Gohel to initiate the discussion.
However, the members in the Well, including those from TDP and AIADMK, continued to raise slogans and displaying placards.
An anguished Kurien said "This is not fair ... If this is the way MPs are behaving, I will adjourn the House. ... I don't agree with this....", he said before adjourning the proceedings for the day.
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