New Delhi, Mar 23 (UNI) For the 15th successive day, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day
amid Opposition uproar despite Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu urging members to introspect
on the justification of their protest which has resulted in a three-week deadlock of the House.
Before adjourning the House till Monday within minutes of its sitting, the Chair appealed to members
to engage in introspection and not justify 'present wrongs' for bringing the House to a standstill. He
hoped that members of all parties would allow the House to function from next week.
'This is not a market. It is Parliament and we have some responsibilities," he sought to remind the
House.
Despite his pleas, the Opposition members from the TDP and KVP Ramachandra Rao of the Congress
trooped in to the Well raising slogans for special status to Andhra Pradesh while Tamil parties -- DMK
and AIADMK -- demanded setting up the Cauvery Management Board.
Expressing unhappiness at the frequent adjournments, the Chair wanted the members to introspect
on the reasons, saying incidents of past disruptions should not be given to justify the "present wrong".
"How long do you want to justify the present wrong based on past," he said, pointing out that the people
were 'deeply disturbed' at the three-week impasse and were 'aspiring for change. Should the change
not begin from Rajya Sabha?"
As members of the Telugu Desam Party, AIADMK and the Congress members raised slogans before
his chair and entered the Well, he asked: "What is going on? How long you will do it? How will you
justify? People are deeply disturbed."
He urged the members to return to their seats but to no avail.
The House has not been able to do much business since it met on March 5 in the second leg of the
Budget session.
Meanwhile, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot tabled the motion for the
Indian Rehabilitation Council and passed it quickly in the din.
After the laying of papers, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel reminded members of the
long list of pending Bills, including the Appropriation Bills, for passing and discussion next week.
While TDP members were demanding a steel plant in Andhra Pradesh, KVP Ramchandra Rao of the
Congress was demanding special status for the state, AIADMK members wanted formation of Cauvery
Management Board. They were joined by Congress members in the Well shouting slogans that the government
was anti-SC/ST, in an apparent reference to the Supreme Court ruling on the Scheduled Castes and Tribes
(Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Earlier, the House paid homage to revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukdev, who were hanged
on this day 87 years ago by the British.
UNI SD ADG 1807