TDP creates ruckus in House, Rajya Sabha adjourned till noon

New Delhi, July 23

The opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Monday forced a pre-noon adjournment of proceedings in the Rajya Sabha after its members trooped into the Well of the House over their demand for special category status for Andhra Pradesh.

TDP members led by their leaders YS Chowdary and CM Ramesh were up on their feet as soon as listed papers were laid on the table of the House.

Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said their notice had been converted into a short-duration discussion which would be taken up on Tuesday.

He then got two zero hour mentions--minimum support price (MSP) for paddy raised by Vijila Sathyanath of the AIADMK and alleged misuse of investigating agencies by the government to settle political vendetta by Anand Sharma of the Congress--made before TDP members rushed into the Well of the House.

Naidu said he was willing for a discussion on the issue last week itself but TDP leaders wanted it to be slated for Monday and on Sunday they sought its listing on July 24.

“I have admitted the notice under rule 176,” he said.

Rule 176 allows a short-duration discussion to be raised by a member on a matter of urgent public importance.

But the TDP members were unrelenting.

“Please don’t do injustice to other members,” Naidu said, adding that he had admitted 15 zero hour notices which should be taken up. “I am ready for discussion.”

He asked members to return to their places but TDP members were unrelenting.

There also was a minor verbal clash between opposition Congress and treasury benches on Anand Sharma’s zero hour mention of parallel FIRs on the same alleged offence being registered by the CBI, the DRI and the ED in “targeted vendetta”.

While treasury benches said the Congress was trying to “demoralise” investigating agencies, opposition members saw them being “abused” by the government.

Naidu’s repeated pleas to members to return to their seats went unheeded, forcing him to adjourn the proceedings till noon.

But before doing so he remarked that it seemed that members did not want the House to function. PTI