By IANS,
New Delhi : The Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice Wednesday, the first time on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border row and the second time over a calling attention motion on the killing of Indian fishermen in attacks by the Sri Lankan Navy.
As the house met for question hour, Shiv Sena members led by Manohar Joshi appealed to Chairman Hamid Ansari for a discussion on the Belgaum dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka.
The chair, however, rejected the demand, stating that the matter was sub-judice and could not be taken up in the house.
At this, Shiv Sena members led by Joshi gathered near Ansari’s podium. Despite repeated requests, they stood firm on the demand for the discussion, forcing the chair to adjourn the house for half-an-hour till 11.30 a.m.
The Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary row suddenly came to the limelight following the central government’s affidavit in the Supreme Court early July that the disputed areas could not be made a part of Maharashtra merely because a majority of the population there speak Marathi.
The second adjournment, for 20 minutes, came during zero hour after heated exchanges between AIADMK member V. Matireyan and members of the Congress and the DMK.
As the house took up a calling attention motion moved by Matireyan, members from the Congress and the DMK raised objections to the clarifications sought by the AIADMK member, describing them as irrelevant.
As repeated pleas by the chair could not pacify the agitated members, an angry Matireyan said: “I will not speak if this continues.”
Amidst the din, the chair adjourned the house for 20 minutes.