MPs tear off papers, grab microphone in Rajya Sabha

In Rajya Sabha, while TDP leaders Y S Chowdary, C M Ramesh and Congress MP K V P Ramachandra Rao were in the Well again, it was AIADMK MPs led by V Maitreyan who created ruckus.

The provocation behind the disruption was the naming of 10 members in the House bulletin for “gross disorderly conduct and violation of rules and etiquette of the Rajya Sabha” last week. Maitreyan and DMK’s T M Selvaganapathi tore copies of the bulletin and threw it at the Chair. Maitreyan also tried to snatch the microphones from the Chairman’s podium but was stopped by security staff.

Amid the ruckus, a visibly angry Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said the conduct of the members was illegal. “What you are doing is indiscipline. I know what you want. You don’t want proceedings to be reported correctly.

You want censoring. If you want to censor the proceedings of the House, it is against the Rule. Why do you insist on censoring? It is not proper on your part. It is unbecoming. It is illegal and against the Rules,” Kurien said. Ministers Jairam Ramesh and Rajiv Shukla were seen trying to stop Maitreyan.

The LS saw one adjournment before it was adjourned for the day soon after noon. Several members, including supporters and opponents of division of Andhra Pradesh, trooped into the Well raising slogans.

They were joined in the Well by members of Samajwadi Party who were raising slogans against the communal violence Bill. SAD members were on their feet with placards demanding that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi name those behind the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Amid pandemonium, Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the House for an hour minutes after it met for the day.

Similar scenes were witnessed when it reassembled at noon following which the House was adjourned. As a result, the Speaker could not to take up notices for no-confidence motion moved by several members, including V Aruna Kumar of ruling Congress.