New Delhi: Amid unprecedented bedlam, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde moved the Telangana bill in Rajya Sabha for consideration leading to three adjournments within 30 minutes.
The Well of the Upper House virtually turned into a battle field as Shinde moved the bill with anti-Telangana protestors displaying huge placards opposing the bill and creating uproar.
Even though Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley, who had raised the issue of constitutional invalidity of the bill was asked by Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien to put forth his point of view, the surcharged atmosphere forced the Chair to go for a short break.
Jaitley was not allowed to have his say despite being called by the Chair whose repeated pleas to maintain order in the House went unheeded.
Deadlock over Telangana Bill persists, govt mulling extending session
The House had witnessed high drama on Wednesday with Secretary General Shumsher K. Sheriff being heckled by a TDP member who tried to snatch from him papers related to Telangana bill.
When the Chair took up the Whistleblowers Bill for consideration on Thursday, Prakash Javadekar (BJP) went near the podium to demand that the Telengana Bill be brought first, even as V. Maitrayan (AIADMK) got into a scuffle with the marshalls demanding a discussion on the Tamil fishermen issue.
The Telangana bill was moved for consideration even as a deadlock persisted over it with the government accusing BJP of bringing amendments at the eleventh hour.
"We have listed the Telangana bill in Rajya Sabha and we would be attempting to get it passed. The question of amendments at this stage does not arise," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath had told reporters earlier.
As soon as Kurien, announced taking up Telangana bill after the House met at 2 PM, Seemandhra MPs from Congress and TDP rushed to the Well. They were supported by Derek O'Brien (TMC) and some others, who waved placards saying that bill passed in Lok Sabha on Tuesday was "not Constitutional, not legal, not right".
One of the members was seen waving a black flag near the podium.
There was a heated exchange between the agitating members and Kurien as the Seemandhra members as well as O'Brien did not allow Jaitely to speak even after the Chair permitted him to do so.
Kurien appeared incensed particularly with TDP MP Y.S. Chowdhary, who kept shouting near the Chair seeking to move an amendment and demanding the opinion of the Attorney General over the Constitutional validity of the bill.
The House was adjourned five times between 2 PM to 4.30 PM without any sign of normalcy despite the Chair calling a meeting of leaders of all parties inside the Chamber.
"Chairman had called leaders of all parties and there was a general consensus that we should discuss the bill. You can move the amendment but there is a rule and procedure for it.
"First let there be a general discussion and then only amendments can be moved," Kurien said but Chowdhary and other agitating members remained unimpressed.
"It is illegal. Go back to your seat. I will suspend you. I will take action against you. You are killing democracy," Kurien told Chowdhary as BJP members insisted that there should be order in the House for the discussion to take place.
Kurien earlier said that a number of members including Jaitley, O'Brien, Chowdhary and Naresh Agrawal (SP) have given notices opposing the bill on the ground of Constitutional validity.
"I will be giving a chance to the LoP to oppose the Bill on its Constitutional validity," he said but later termed the use of word 'oppose' as a "slip of tongue".
"I have called the LoP to raise a Constitutional point and not to oppose...I have to correct a slip of tongue," Kurien said.
M. Venkaiah Naidu (BJP) rued that even ruling party members are disrupting the House and asked the government to create an atmosphere for discussion in the House.
He said BJP has been saying all along that it was "in favour of Telangana" but insisted that there should be no injustice to Seemandhdra region.
Kurien, while criticising the agitating members for their unruly behaviour, said senior members of the House should tell the agitating MPs to go back to their seat.
JD(U) MPs were seen protesting against delay in granting special state category to Bihar.
Earlier, amid differences over amendments on the crucial Telangana Bill, BJP today stepped up pressure for bringing the bill in the Rajya Sabha which remained paralysed following pandemonium over various issues.
Amid din created by members over Telangana, special status for Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal besides the Tamil fishermen and reservation for backward classes issues, Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP) demanded that the Telangana bill be taken up for discussion.
"Where is the Telangana Bill? Where is it? Where is the government?," he said, amid chants of "Telangana bill lao (bring Telangana bill)" by BJP members.
While Kurien sought the views of the House for consideration and passage of the Whistleblower's Bill, BJP insisted that though they were ready for discussion on the bill they wanted the government to first bring the Telangana bill.
As uproar in the House continued with members of various parties on their feet and inside the Well, shouting slogans and demanding their issues be taken up first, V Maitreyan (AIADMK) jostled with marshals to reach up to the Chair.
Maitreyan was demanding a discussion on Tamil fishermen issue and sought the presence of Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister to answer their queries.
As Kurien refused to take up the issue saying he did not speak on the Calling Attention Motion when he was asked to do so, Maitreyan protested and snatched a book kept next to the podium but the marshals took back the book from him.
Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice within an hour after it met post-lunch at 2 PM. The House witnessed three adjournments in the pre-lunch sitting.
Supporting the bill, BSP chief Mayawati said her party supported smaller states as they would enable better governance and speedy development.
She said when BSP was in power in Uttar Pradesh, the state assembly has passed a resolution for bifurcating the state into smaller regions.
She said that while the government is considering special package for the Seemandhra region, Telangana which has a substantial population of backward and schedule caste should also be given a similar package.
Besides, she said that along with Telangana and Seemandhra regions, the Centre should also consider demands of other states for special package and there should be no discrimination in this regard.
Mayawati suggested setting up of state reorganisation commission to look into the demand for creation of new states.
She asked the Centre to set up a national level commission to take a policy decision related to inclusion of OBCs into SC category. She said if this inclusion is allowed, the quantum of reservation for SC should also increase proportionately.
Opposing the Telangana Bill, Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) said states in India have been created on linguistic basis but rued that in this case, people who are united by language are divided.
He accused the government of opportunism and said the move has been made keeping elections in mind.
His speech too was interrupted by TMC members and others opposed to the bill. Though he pleaded with them to allow him to speak without interruption, his appeal went unheeded.
N.K. Singh (JD-U) said it was a 'strange' piece of legislation as it contained no statement of object and reason and financial memorandum.
He said while Seemandhra certainly deserved special package, the case of other states especially the seven which had been identified by the Raghuram Rajan committee should also be considered for such package. Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh too qualify for special category status, he said.
Ram Gopal Yadav (SP) opposed the bill terming it "unconstitutional" and said it was being brought undermining the wishes of the state assembly.
Kanimozhi (DMK) opposed the bill, accusing the Centre of taking away the rights of the states and having not taken into account the state assembly's resolution and staged a walkout.
C.M. Ramesh (TDP) said it is an "illegal" bill and he was opposed to it.
BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu stood up and pointed out to the Chair that one of the protesting members had sat down in the Well.
Kurien, who was in the Chair, then said he had not allowed members to be in the Well and asked the Parliamentary Affairs Minister to see if the member needed to be taken to hospital.
Prakash Javadekar (BJP) said while the demand for Telangana had been long standing, the Prime Minister should take personal responsibility over the manner in which the Bill had come.
He accused Union minister Chiranjeevi of hypocrisy of being in the council of ministers while being opposed to its decision.
Hanumantha Rao (Cong) supported the bill while Shashi Bhushan Behera (BJD) questioned the manner in which the state was being bifurcated.
Janardhan Waghmare (NCP) expressed his support for the bill.
TDP members T. Devender Goud and Gundu Sudha Rani also supported the proposed legislation. Rani said she favoured a special package for Seemandhra.
D. Raja (CPI) said he supported the creation of Telangana but added that the Congress should be held responsible for the 'current turmoil'.
He said his party's support for Telangana should not be perceived as a support to all demands of statehood. He sought adequate assistance for Telangana and Seemandhra.
