Parliament proceedings paralysed for the third day

New Delhi: Parliament failed to function for the third straight working day on Wednesday as members caused disruptions over a number of issues, including Telangana, thus preventing the notices for a no-confidence motion from being taken up.

Other issues that paralysed the proceedings were demands for granting scheduled caste status to 17 castes as well as death of children in relief camps in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh.

This is the fifth day of the 12-day Winter Session. Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Houses condoled the death of sitting members - Mohan Singh in the Rajya Sabha and Murarilal Singh in the Lok Sabha- before adjourning on the first day of the session. The second day saw Parliament adjourning after paying tributes to former South African President Nelson Mandela, who passed away recently.

On Wednesday, the issue of scheduled caste status to 17 backward castes was raised in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha by Samajwadi Party, apparently to counter the Muzaffarnagar issue being repeatedly raised by its main rival BSP.

Lokpal Bill held up as opposition disrupting Parliament: Govt

In the Lok Sabha, placard-carrying DMK members were vociferous on the issue of seeking Katchathivu Island back from Sri Lanka and provide safety to Indian fishermen from the Lankan navy, as they shouted slogans in the Well.

Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (RJD) demanded removal of the UPSC Chairman and relaxation of certain norms for civil services examinations.

Members from Seemandhra carried posters which said 'Save Andhra Pradesh' and at one point, YSR Congress leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy was also seen in the aisle, joining the cause.

The House could not take up three notices of no-confidence motion, given by R. Sambasiva Rao (Cong) and five party MPs from Seemandhra region, M. Venugopal Reddy (TDP) and YSR Congress member M. Rajamohan Reddy, as part of their attempt to stall division of Andhra Pradesh.

This was because the House witnessed constant din and all attempts by Speaker Meira Kumar to bring it to order failed.

She said she was "duty bound" to bring the three notices of the no-confidence motion before the House but could not do so as the House was not in order.

Kumar then adjourned the House for the day.

Amid din, papers listed for the day were laid and Finance Minister P Chidambaram presented the Supplementary Demands for Grants (General) for 2013-14. 

Telangana: Will Samaj­wadi Party pull the plug?

Lok Sabha saw one adjournment before it was adjourned for the day minutes after noon. The Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice and finally till tomorrow at 2 PM in view of continued disruptions.

Functioning of Rajya Sabha was disrupted as SP and BSP demanded Centre's nod for inclusion of 17 Other Backward Castes of Uttar Pradesh in the SC list, an issue that led to the adjournment of the House till 2 PM.

SP, which had made the promise during UP Assembly polls last year, is pressing hard for it months before the general elections are scheduled in an apparent bid to shore up its vote base.

As soon as the House re-assembled at noon after an hour-long adjournment following uproar over various issues, members from BSP and SP trooped into the Well shouting slogans in favour of the demand.

BSP members at the same time kept shouting slogans for dismissal of the SP government in the state over the death of children in Muzaffarnagar relief camps.

Amid uproar, the House was adjourned till 2 PM. When it reassmbled, similar scenes were witnessed and the proceedings were adjourned for the day.

The effort for inclusion of 17 OBCs in the SC list was initiated way back in 2005, when the then SP government headed Mulayam Singh Yadav had amended the UP Public Services (Reservation for Schedule Castes, Schedule Tribes and Other Backward Castes) Act, 1994, to include these Most Backward Castes in the SC category.

They include Banjara, Kahar, Kashyap, Kewat, Nishad, Bind, Bhar, Prajapati, Rajbhar, Batham, Gaur, Tura, Majhi, Mallah, Kumhar, Dheemar and Machhua.

Next - UPA govt has a majority, no question of early polls: Kamal Nath

UPA govt has a majority, no question of early polls: Kamal Nath

New Delhi: The government has a majority and there is no question of general elections taking place before they are scheduled, said Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kamal Nath.

Interacting with media outside Parliament on Wednesday, Nath confirmed that Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has received only one notice for moving a no-confidence motion against the government by four Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Members of Parliament.

However, YSR Congress leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy said that he has also moved a no-confidence motion against the UPA regime to highlight his demand for a united Andhra Pradesh.

He also claimed that the TDP was a divided house on the Telangana issue.

CPI(M) leader Basudeb Acharia, however, said no purpose would be served by bringing a no-confidence motion towards the fag end of the government's term.