Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
New Delhi
Rajya Sabha was on Wednesday forced to adjourn due to protests from Congress members regarding the political crisis in the JD(S)-Congress ruled state of Karnataka.
The members entered into the well of the House and raised slogans about 10 minutes into the Zero Hour.
Chairman Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the House when his remonstration for normalcy was disregarded.
The Congress had given notice under Rule 267 seeking suspension of House’s business for discussion on Karnataka, which Naidu had disallowed.
The turning down of the notice was contested by Congress members.
Naidu allowed proceedings in Zero Hour for sometime amidst sloganeering by Congress members.
Bhupender Yadav of the BJP countered the Congress by saying that as per the norms the Chairman’s ruling regarding notices under Rule 267 is final.
Raising a point of order, Yadav said Congress cannot raise the issue of resignations of their party MLAs in Karnataka in the House.
“Every MLA who resigned has leveled allegations against the Congress leadership. How is BJP answerable for it?” Yadav said.
As Congress members moved into the well of the House shouting slogans, Naidu said, “You are taking of defections, have affection for this House.”
“Horse trading band karo (Stop horse trading of MLAs),” Congress members shouted from the well as Naidu
ordered that nothing they say would go on record.
“Please allow democracy to function,” he pleaded.
“I cannot allow this in House.”
“What is defection (and) affection) is for the Speaker (of the State Assembly) to decide,” he said before adjourning the proceedings.
Naidu said the ruling of the chair is final and this is what was followed during previous Chairmen as well.
As Congress members shouted slogans against the BJP, Naidu said he has in the past expunged references to the ruling party, Congress, Left and others when they were objected to.
Earlier, when the House met for the day, it mourned the death of its former member R Ramakrishnan.
Ramakrishnan, who represented Tamil Nadu in the Upper House from June 1980 to June 1986, passed away on July 7 at the age of 73.
