New Delhi: Angry over the court summons to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in National Herald case, Congress stalled Rajya Sabha for the fourth day on Friday by raising slogans and alleging "vendetta politics".
The House was adjourned repeatedly because of the ruckus created by the Congress members soon after the House met for the day and Chairman Hamid Ansari mentioned about the 14th anniversary of dastardly terror attack on Parliament House.
Several Congress members trooped into the Well of the House shouting anti-government slogans like "Modi teri tanashahi nahi chalegi, nahi chalegi (Dictatorship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be tolerated)" and "Hitlershahi nahi chalegi (Hitler-like attitude will not be tolerated).
A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment regarding Congress’ disruptions in Parliament, party president Sonia Gandhi responded saying, "Let him say what he wants."
“It is a matter of sorrow that Parliament is not running. Democracy cannot function at the whims and fancies of anyone," Modi had said in a sharp reaction to the Winter Session proceedings, as both the Houses were paralysed due to opposition protests and sloganeering.
He also said that the rights of the poor are being ignored with the Parliament not functioning. "It is not only GST but many pro-poor steps are stuck in Parliament," he said.
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because of protests, Congress member Bhaskar Rapolu even refused to lay the Report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy. Rapolu, who was in the Well, refused to go back to his seat to do so.
"Go and present your report. That is your duty. Why don't you do that," Deputy Chairman P J Kurien told Rapolu who did not relent.
He called Rapolu after the first member listed to present the report, Prarimohan Mohapatra of BJD, was not present. Amid the din, a resolution referring The Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013 to a Select Committee of the House was passed.
As Congress members booed, Kurien even got Sukhendu Shekar Roy (TMC), Tapan Kumar Sen and K K Ragesh (of CPI-M) to lay their special mention notices on incidents of intolerance, workers plight in tea gardens and special assistance to Kerala rubber farmers respectively laid on the table. Kurien asked members not to howl, saying howling is not human nature.
Minister of State for Parliamentry Affairs Mukthar Abbas Naqvi said, "we are hearing voices (in the House) like those in a zoo." He said it was unparliamentary.
"We are very concerned about Congress members. We also feel pity on them. Let Leader of Opposition get some medicine for his party members so that their throat is clear. Today one week has passed. Earlier they used to shout slogans.
"Now they are only saying HO HO. We are very much concerned about their throat condition. Mr LOP give them some medicine so that their throat is fine," Naqvi said sarcastically.
With members unrelenting, Kurien adjourned the House till 11.30 hours. But with similar scenes persisting when the House met again, he adjourned it till 1200 noon.
There was no normalcy when the House re-convened at 12.00. Trooping into the Well again, the Congress members kept shouting "Halla Bol".
Ansari, who was back in the House to take up Question Hour, told the agitating Congress members "you have done this enough. Please allow Question Hour."
Vijay Jawaharlal Darda (Cong), in whose name a question related to Ram Vilas Paswan's Ministry of Consumer Affairs was listed, raised the issue of the minister's absence from the House. Thereafter the Chairman moved to the next question.
As Congress members kept shouting, the Chairman told them "that is not correct. Please do not do it."
However, the din continued and the Chair had to adjourn the House till 12.30. Soon after Azad was seen confabulating members from his party as well as from Trinamool Congress and JD-U, apparently for a common floor strategy.
Ansari again tried to take up the Question Hour when the House met again despite the din continuing. After answers of two questions were laid in the House, Ansari adjourned the House till 2.30 pm commenting that answers cannot be heard in the din.
