Rajya Sabha members defy Chair's order to withdraw

New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha was on Wednesday adjourned for the day amid sloganeering by agitating AIADMK and DMK members who, in a very unusual move, defied Chair's orders to withdraw from the House and stayed put near the podium in the post-lunch sitting. Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu — after his appeals to restore order failed on deaf ears and the House had already been adjourned several times — named the agitating members and asked to withdraw from the House for the day under Rule 256 of the proceedings of the House.

"You are forcing me to take action. I am forced to take the names of following members," Naidu said as he named A. Navaneethakrishnan, Muthukaruppan, Gokulakrishnan, Vijila Sathyanath, A. Selvaraj, R. Lakshmanan, S.R. Balasubramoniyan and V. Vijayakumar of AIADMK, and R.S. Bharathi, Tiruchi Siva, Kanimozhi and T.K.S. Elangovan of DMK. "I suggest to all these members to immediately withdraw from the House as per the traditions and customs of the House," he said as he adjourned the House for 15 minutes. However, as the House reassembled at 2.28 p.m, the named members had not withdrawn and continued shouting slogans near the Chair's podium. The MPs from Tamil Nadu have been protesting against the proposed Mekedatu dam in Karnataka on Cauvery river. Deputy Chairman Harivansh, who was in the Chair, asked the MPs named by Naidu to "kindly withdraw" from the House, but they did not heed the advice. Harivansh then adjourned the House till 3 p.m. As the House reassembled at 3 p.m. the scene was no different and the AIADMK and DMK members were shouting slogans more loudly. Amid the continued din, the Chair adjourned the House for the day. (IANS)

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