Tamil parties AIADMK and DMK had a face-off in Rajya Sabha today after the former raised the issue of construction of check dams by Andhra Pradesh on Pallar river flowing it the state.
When Vijila Sathyanath (AIADMK) rose to speak on her Zero Hour mention, DMK members led by Tiruchi Siva and Kanimozhi objected to it saying she should not be allowed to raise the matter as their notices on the same issue were disallowed earlier.
AIADMK members were immediately on their feet to support their party colleague, with senior member A Navaneethakrishnan even walking up to the Chair demanding that Sathyanath be allowed to complete her submission.
Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said the Chairman has allowed her Zero Hour mention and so she has been permitted to speak.
Amid protests from DMK members, she said Andhra Pradesh has constructed check dams on the river without the permission of Tamil Nadu.
Siva said he had given a special mention notice yesterday on Cauvery management board but it was disallowed on the grounds that the issue had already been raised in the House in the current session.
He said he had raised the issue of check dams on Pallar river through a Zero Hour mention which was also not allowed. So the same rule should apply to the AIADMK member's notice which should not be accepted.
"My notice was not accepted," the DMK member said, as his AIADMK counterparts protested vociferously.
At one time, Kurien even warned of action against Sathyanath for unruly behaviour after she had completed her three-minute submission.
"Vijila, I will take action against you. Don't do like this," he said.
To Siva, Kurien said it is the prerogative of the Chairman to allow an issue to be raised. "You cannot comment on the decision of the Chairman.
Mukul Roy (TMC) sought a review of the process of
appointing election commissioners alleging the poll body's role during the recent assembly elections in West Bengal had raised doubts about its impartiality.
He said the way 76 officers including the Commissioner of Kolkata were transferred by the Election Commission "without any basis" had "raised doubts if Election Commission was carrying out a political vendetta."
The poll body, he alleged, was "autocratic" during the assembly polls and was bent upon "ringing death knell in West Bengal." He sought a review of the way appointments are made to Election Commission.
Shwait Malik (BJP) raised the issue of security lapse at the Attari on Indo-Pak border saying arms and other unwanted items were being smuggled into India because of lack of scanners at the check post.
Also, of the 231 CCTV cameras at the check-post, only 13 were working when he visited Attari, Malik said, adding none of the 18 boom barriers were working.
