Weak UPA faces storms in Houses; BJP mulls moving no-trust motion against Lok Sabha Speaker

New Delhi: Sensing a lame duck in in the corridors of power following the drubbing that the Congress got in the recently concluded Assembly elections, the BJP and other Opposition parties on Tuesday went in for a kill.

The major opposition party is mulling moving a no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar for not allowing a discussion on the 2G report tabled by Joint Parliamentary Committee chairman P.C. Chacko on Monday.

Read here: AP Congress MPs don't trust UPA

The BJP and the Left parties slammed the one-sided report on three grounds: absolving Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who was ready to depose and letting go the then Finance Minister P. Chidambaram who gave a few controversial approvals.

The second ground was that the then Telecom Minister A. Raja was not given an opportunity to give his viewpoint though he was named as the fountainhead of the scam. The DMK walked out of the Lok Sabha over the issue on Monday.

Thirdly, the Speaker, citing constitutional norms, did not allow the JPC members to air their views on the floor of the Lok Sabja.

CPM’s Gurdas Gupta called the JPC report as a fraud against the Constitution and flayed Chacko for trying it to ram the report through the throat of the Parliament. “The fundamental rights of the MPs have been denied,” he said.

The Telugu Desam moved another no-trust move against the UPA Government over the Telangana issue and claimed that it had the support of 84 MPs. The motion should be backed by 10 per cent of the members and this works out to about 50 members.

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament on Tuesday, Congress MP Lagadapati Rajagopal said, "This Govt has lost people's confidence. Whether or not they have the numbers, it is high time that the Govt goes."

However, both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned amid ruckus till noon.

In a most unwelcome gift for Congress president Sonia Gandhi on her birthday on Monday, six Congress MPs, — Lagadapati Rajagopal, Vundavalli Arun Kumar, A. Sai Pratap, Sabbam Hari, G.V. Harsha Kumar and Rayapati Sambasiva Rao — gave notice for a no-confidence motion to the Lok Sabha Speaker’s office under Rule 198 of the Lok Sabha Rules and Procedures.

JPC report on 2G a 'fraud': BJP

BJP on Tuesday said the JPC report on the 2G scam was a 'fraud' and an attempt in hiding the truth. Party's Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha, Ravi Shankar Prasad also objected to the manner in which the report was allowed to be tabled in Lok Sabha on Monday.

"The way the JPC report was tabled in Lok Sabha.... It is a fraud report. After all the documents, attempts have been made to bury the truth. And yesterday our leaders like Yashwant Sinha and Gopinath Munde raised the issue with all due seriousness," he said.

Speaker Meira Kumar had not allowed any interventions while the report was tabled, saying this was not permissible under the rules. CPI leader Gurusdas Dasgupta said it was incorrect on part of the Speaker to not allow the opposition to raise its objections. Sinha had also objected to it.

Next: Ruckus forces wash out of Lok Sabha proceedings

Ruckus forces wash out of Lok Sabha proceedings

New Delhi: Notices for a no-confidence motion could not be taken up in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday as functioning of the House was washed out for the second successive working day over a host of issues, including Telangana, JPC report on 2G and death of 40 children in Muzaffarnagar relief camps.

Three separate notices were given on Monday by six Congress members from Seemandhra region, TDP and YSR Congress, as part of their attempt to stall division of Andhra Pradesh and creation of Telangana.

Speaker Meira Kumar said she had received the notices but maintained that House should be in order so that the issue could be considered.

Seemandhra MPs, including YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy, vociferously protested creation of Telangana and demanded a united Andhra Pradesh.

Along with them, BJD members alleged discrimination towards cyclone-hit Odisha by the Centre, while DMK members were in the Well opposing the training of Sri Lankan Navy personnel in the country.

Left members trooped into the Well with placards demanding inquiry into role of ministers in the Saradha chit fund scam in West Bengal. TMC members, whose party is in power in the state, countered this charge by walking into the Well and raising slogans.

BJP members were on their feet and protested against the changes made by JPC Chairperson P C Chacko in the panel's report on 2G scam.

BSP members also stormed the Well and displayed newspaper report clippings on the death of 40 children in relief camps for Muzaffarnagar riot victims.

Kumar's repeated attempts to bring order in the House went in vain. Though some agitating members returned to their seats, they were soon back in the Well which prompted her to adjourn the House for the day.

In view of the ruckus, no business could be taken up for the second consecutive working day.