By IANS,
New Delhi : The Rajya Sabha was adjourned again when the seven MPs who had been suspended earlier Tuesday for unruly behaviour continued to squat on the floor and effusively greeted vice chairman P.J. Kurien when the house reassembled at 2 p.m.
It was the third adjournment for the Rajya Sabha, which has been witnessing repeated disruptions for two consecutive days over differences on the women’s reservation bill.
Apparently unrepentant, the seven MPs got up to greet Kurien who adjourned the house till 3 p.m.
Earlier, furious at the continuous disruptions over the women’s reservation bill, Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari suspended the seven opposition MPs for the remaining part of the session and adjourned the house till 2 p.m. But the MPs continued to sit near his podium.
Those suspended are Samajwadi Party’s Kamal Akhtar, Veerpal Singh Yadav, Amir Alam Khan and Nand Kishore Yadav, Janata Dal-United’s (JD-U) Ejaz Ali, Lok Janshakti Party’s (LJP) Sabir Ali and Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD) Subhash Prasad Yadav.
Signs of trouble had been there since morning when a handful of MPs noisily voiced their protest against the passing the historic women’s bill that promises to reserve 33 percent of legislative seats for women.
Akhtar and other MPs from his party as the RJD were immediately on their feet. When the din continued, the house was adjourned till 12 noon.
The protests continued when the house reassembled. About 10 MPs, including Akhtar and JD-U’s Ali, advanced towards the chairman’s podium shouting slogans like “Tanashahi nahi chalegi” (Down with dictatorship).
Amid the pandemonium, Ansari called for official papers to be laid following which Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Prithiviraj Chavan moved a resolution for suspending the seven MPs.
The resolution was passed by voice vote.
On Monday, SP’s Nand Kishore Yadav tried to climb up to the chairman’s desk but was prevented by a marshal. Subhash Yadav of RJD attempted to assault the parliament secretary general seated below the podium. This happened when Ansari tried to move the women’s bill for consideration.
Subhash Yadav is RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s brother-in-law.
There were unprecedented scenes with the MPs opposed to the bill tearing up the document and hurling the pieces at Ansari.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned six times Monday. The voting, which was supposed to be held at 6 p.m., had to be postponed after a handful of opposition members protested its passage. The voting is scheduled for Tuesday.