Rajya Sabha adjourned thrice amid uproar Thursday Feb 20,2014

Rajya Sabha on Thursday Feb 20,2014 saw three adjournments in the pre-lunch sitting after uproar over -

• Telangana
• Tamil fishermen issues and
•  release of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassins

As soon as the House met for the day, Chairman Hamid Ansari took up an obituary reference of former CPI(M) member PR. Rajan and after a minute’s silence members of various parties created pandemonium with some trooping into the Well.

Congress members protested Tamil Nadu government’s decision to release the convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, while AIADMK members rose to counter them.

Led by Ram Gopal Yadav (SP) made a strong demand for inclusion of 17 OBC communities in the SC/ST list.

Holding placards in the Well, TDP members opposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

Amid uproar, Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned the House till noon ruling, “This is unbecoming behaviour of members.”

When the House met at noon, similar scenes were witnessed though Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien agreed to take up after the laying of papers a Calling Attention Motion on plight of Tamil fishermen moved by V. Maitreyan (AIADMK), D. Raja (CPI) and Kanimozhi (DMK).

All the leaders protested the absence of Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister in the House when important issue of Tamil fishermen was taken up and refused to speak.

Amid uproar, Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien adjourned the House for 20 minutes till 12:30 p.m.

“We want only the Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister. Summon the Prime Minister here. They are treating the fishermen issue in a very casual manner,” AIADMK's A.Maitreyan said.

DMK's A. Raja said it was a “serious” and “sensitive” issue and External Affairs Minister should have been present.

“We want the Prime Minister or the External Affairs Minister to answer to our queries,” he said.

Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien. Kurien said he was ready to take up the Motion and the Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur was present in the House. She later tabled the statement.

Ram Gopal Yadav (SP) sought to raise the reservation issue following which members of his party and those of BSP trooped into the Well raising slogans.

TDP and Congress members were also in the Well with posters and shouting slogans.

As the din continued, the House was adjourned till 2 p.m