Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The continuing agitation by Tamil Nadu MPs against the failure of the government to heed their demands regarding a UN resolution against Sri Lanka took an ugly turn in the Rajya Sabha on Friday when some slogan-shouting members,mainly from the AIADMK,tore papers and even damaged the mike on the Chairmans seat.
The MPs,belonging to both the DMK and AIADMK,were particularly annoyed with Renuka Chowdhury,who was in the chair,and had a verbal exchange with her even after she adjourned the House for the day in the afternoon.
Parliament went into a month-long recess on Friday.
The problem began when the Rajya Sabha assembled for the post-lunch session and Chowdhury allowed External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid to read a statement on the return of two Italian marines,accused with the murder of two fishermen,to India to stand trial. The protesting Tamil Nadu MPs objected at the attempts to transact normal business,and forced the minister to just place his speech on record.
They agitated again when Chowdhury tried to extend the proceedings and allowed MPs to introduce their private bills. At this point,V Maitreyan of the AIADMK walked up to Parshottam Rupala,a BJP member from Gujarat who was allowed to introduce his Bill,and took away his papers.
Chowdhury,however,insisted and tried to continue transacting the business of the House,prompting a few members to go up to the podium of the Chairperson and removed the papers from there. Two of the four mikes in front of the chair were also dislodged.
An angry Chowdhury adjourned the House till April 22 but the matter did not end there. DMK and AIADMK members alleged that she came down from her seat and said that they were behaving like animals. The Tamil Nadu MPs took umbrage and threatened that they would not allow Chowdhury to be in the Chairpersons seat again.
As Chowdhury walked out of the House,some Congress members,including Jairam Ramesh,Ambika Soni and Rajeev Shukla intervened to pacify the DMK and AIADMK members.
The two parties claimed that Chowdhury had later apologised to them.
Meanwhile,DMK member Tiruchi Siva,who was part of the entire drama,had to be hospitalised in the evening because of the stress she suffered during the altercation. Siva is the second DMK member to have landed in hospital after continuously protesting in Parliament. On Wednesday,Vasanthi Stanley had fainted in the House.
Lok Sabha disrupted,Bills stuck
The Lok Sabha was paralysed by members from Tamil Nadu with DMK and AIADMK MPs trooping into the well of the House forcing the adjournment of Question Hour. Later it was adjourned for the day. The DMK and AIADMK members were expressing dissatisfaction with the Indian stand at the UNHRC vote against Lanka. They held placards reading We condemn betrayal of India against Tamils in UNHRC and did not relent despite appeal by the Chair to allow them to speak. The Lok Sabha,consequently,failed to take up the National Food Security Bill and Securities and Exchange Board of India Amendment Bill to replace the ordinance that were listed on the agenda on Friday. The House will now assemble for the second leg of the Budget session on April 22.
