Congress tables no-trust notice, Parliament logjam

New Delhi, March 23: The impasse in both the Houses of Parliament continued on Friday and Parliament failed to transact any business for the 15th consecutive working day. Meanwhile, the Congress too tabled in the Lok Sabha a notice for no-confidence motion against the rendra Modi government. “This House expresses no confidence in the Council of Ministers,” read the notice tabled by Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of Congress in the lower House. Already, the TDP and YSR Congress Party have filed notices for no-confidence motion against the government over the issue of special category status for Andhra Pradesh, but they have not been taken up due to continued disruption of the House. On Friday too, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan could not take up the no-confidence motion in the din.

Protests started as soon as the House met with members from the Telanga Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the AIADMK trooping near the Speaker’s podium. Congress members protested from their seats over the Supreme Court verdict on the SC/ST Act. The AIADMK and the TRS have been paralysing the House with protests, pressing for their demands for setting of Cauvery Water Magement Board and increase in the reservation quota for jobs in Telanga. As the din continued, the Speaker adjourned the House till noon. The scene was no different when it met again, with Mahajan urging the protesting members to return to their seats so that the no-confidence motion could be taken up.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day amid vociferous protests by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the AIADMK and the Congress on different issues. Chairman M. Venkaiah idu urged the government to reach out to the agitating parties and also asked “all sections of the House” to introspect and let the House function. Soon after the House met, idu expressed his anguish over the continued disruption and hoped it would function from Monday as there was a long list of pending Bills before adjourning the proceedings for the day.

“All sections of the House need to introspect as to why as the Upper House of Parliament, we have let down the people of the country for three long weeks.” idu said that persisting with disruptions for three weeks had no justification. He said he had been getting queries from the public as to why the House was not being adjourned sine die. After the laying of papers, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel listed the details of the pending Bills for passing and discussion next week. No sooner had the Chairman finished when the TDP, the AIADMK and the Congress members stormed near the Chair shouting slogans and holding placards. idu urged the members to return to their seats but that went unheard.

The Upper House has witnessed disruptions over different issues including demands for special status to Andhra Pradesh, setting up of the Cauvery Magement Board and the multi-thousand crore Punjab tiol Bank (PNB) fraud since March 5 when Parliament reassembled for the budget session after recess. The TDP is demanding special status to Andhra Pradesh while the AIADMK members are asking for constitution of Cauvery Magement Board to mage water distribution between Tamil du and Kartaka. The Congress and other opposition parties are demanding discussion on the PNB fraud under the adjournment motion. (IANS)