TDP creates ruckus in House, RS adjourned till 12

Team Udayavani, Jul 23, 2018, 12:54 PM IST

New Delhi: The opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) today forced a pre-noon adjournment of proceedings in the Rajya Sabha after its members trooped into the well of the House over their demand for special category status for Andhra Pradesh.

TDP members led by their leaders Y S Chowdary and C M Ramesh were up on their feet as soon as listed papers were laid on the table of the House. Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said their notice has been converted into a short duration discussion which would be taken up tomorrow.

He then got two zero hour mentions — minimum support price (MSP) for paddy raised by Vijila Sathyanath of the AIADMK and alleged misuse of investigating agencies by the government to settle political vendetta by Anand Sharma of Congress — made before TDP members rushed into the well of the House.

Naidu said he was willing for a discussion on the issue last week itself but TDP leaders wanted it to be slated for Monday and yesterday they sought its listing on July 24.

“I have admitted the notice under rule 176,” he said. Rule 176 allows a short duration discussion to be raised by a member on a matter of urgent public importance. But the TDP members were unrelenting.

“Please don’t do injustice to other members,” Naidu said, adding he has admitted 15 zero hour notices which should be taken up. “I am ready for discussion.”  He asked members to return to their places but TDP members were unrelenting.

There also was a minor verbal clash between opposition Congress and treasury benches on Anand Sharma’s zero hour mention of parallel FIRs on the same alleged offence being registered by the CBI, the DRI and the ED in “targeted vendetta”. While treasury benches said Congress was trying to “demoralise” investigating agencies, opposition members saw them being “abused” by the government.

Naidu’s repeated pleas to members to return to their seats went heeded, forcing him to adjourn the proceedings till 1200 hours. But before doing so he remarked that it seems that members do not want the House to function.