RS adjourned till noon amid uproar by Cong and SP members on SC’s ruling on Karnataka

PTI, Jul 18, 2019, 12:40 PM IST

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha proceedings were on Thursday adjourned for almost an hour after opposition Congress and Samajwadi Party members created an uproar over the Supreme Court ruling on the Karnataka issue and the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh.

As soon as listed papers were laid and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made a statement on the ICJ verdict on the Kulbhushan Jadav case, Congress and SP members were up on their feet raising their respective issues.

Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu did not allow Congress leader Anand Sharma’s point of order on the Supreme Court judgement on the Karnataka issue as well as the notice given by SP leader Ramgopal Yadav under Rule 267 seeking suspension of business to take up the issue of deteriorating law and order in UP.

SP and Congress members rushed into the well of the House shouting slogans, forcing Naidu to first order stoppage of transmission of proceedings on television and then adjourn the proceedings till 1200 hours.

Sharma said the Supreme Court order of Wednesday that the 15 rebel Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA) of the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) government in Karnataka cannot be forced to take part in Assembly proceedings, was in “clear violation of the Constitution.”

He cited the 10th Schedule of the Constitution that states that a MLA or MP would incur a disqualification if he votes/abstains from voting against the party directions. He wanted a ruling from the Chair on the issue.

Naidu said the matter was not before the House but he would give a ruling later. He did not allow him to raise the issue any further but Congress members were up on their feet vociferously protesting.

SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav raised the issue of killing of 10 Dalits in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh and said there was “jungle raj” in the state.

Naidu said he had disallowed the notice under Rule 267 but allowed the issue to be raised in a different form but SP members were unrelenting and rushed in to the well of the House shouting slogans.

Naidu said it was a state matter and ordered that nothing shall go on record. He thereafter also stopped telecast of the proceedings of the House on television.

“This is not the way. Please go to your seats. Nothing is being telecast. Nothing will be written. Why are you wasting your energy,” he said. As some Congress members too joined the wells, Naidu adjourned proceedings till 1200 hours.