Parliament paralysed over Telangana

New Delhi, Feb 10: Both houses of parliament were paralysed for the fourth working day Monday over Telangana and some other issues.

As soon as the Lok Sabha met at 11 a.m., members favouring and opposed to formation of a Telangana state started shouting slogans.

They were joined by members of the Samajwadi Party who protested the communal violence bill.

Shiromani Akali Dal members were also 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 till 12 noon.

When the house met again at noon, similar scenes were witnessed.

The speaker’s repeated appeals to members to return to their seats evoked no response, forcing her not to take up notices for no-confidence motion submitted by V. Aruna Kumar of ruling Congress and K. Narayana Rao of the TDP.

As the din continued, Meira Kumar adjourned the house for the day after tabling of papers.

The Rajya Sabha also witnessed protests over the proposed formation of Telangana, while members from Tamil Nadu demanded discussion on the issue of Tamil fishermen.

When the house met after its first adjournment at 12 noon, members from Andhra Pradesh belonging to the Congress and the TDP were seen gathered near the chairman’s podium with placard demanding a “united Andhra Pradesh”.

As the anti-Telangana members raised slogans, AIADMK leader V. Maitreyan, who was also near the chairman’s podium, tore up some booklets that carry the details of business of the house.

Maitreyan was also seen trying to pull the chairman’s microphone when Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien adjourned the house till 2 p.m.

The protests were even more intense when the house reassembled as Maitreyan again pulled at the chairman’s microphone and tore papers near the podium. He was stopped by the Rajya Sabha staff.

The unruly behaviour continued till Kurien adjourned the house for the day.

Earlier, as soon as the house met for the day, protesting members were on their feet, trooping to the chairman’s podium.

Chairman Hamid Ansari for a brief moment was seen just sitting back in his chair and watching members who tore up some papers. He then adjourned the house for 10 minutes, and then again till 12 noon.