By IANS,
New Delhi : There was little hope for a bill promising reservation to Dalits and tribals in job promotions getting passed in the Lok Sabha Thursday with the house adjourned five times till 4 p.m. on the last day of the winter session.
Samajwadi Party (SP) members disrupted proceedings and reached the speaker’s podium protesting against the bill even as Speaker Meira Kumar tried to broker peace among various parties so that the house could run.
Minister of State for Personnel and Training V. Narayanasamy moved the bill for consideration and passing and the speaker allowed Congress member P.L. Punia to speak on it amid the din.
While the SP members continued to disrupt the house proceedings and did not allow Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member L.K. Advani to speak, the BJP and Janata Dal-United members also trooped into the well of the house pressing the chair to bring the Lok Sabha to order. The Congress members too started raising pro-quota bill slogans.
The house was adjourned till 12.45 p.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 2.30 p.m. and then till 4 p.m. as a divided Lok Sabha could not run in the charged atmosphere.
In between the adjournments, SP and Congress members were seen huddled around their respective party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and Sonia Gandhi discussing strategies.
Though Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) members did not agitate, party chief Mayawati was seen watching the ruckus from the VIP gallery along with her lieutenant Satish Chandra Misra.
The house was adjourned for the day Wednesday when SP member Yashveer Singh snatched the bill from Narayansamy’s hands.
The incident had provoked Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to try to snatch the bill papers back from Yashveer Singh and resulted in scuffle between the Congress and the SP members, forcing a surprised speaker to adjourn the house.
The matter was laid to rest Thursday after Yashveer Singh expressed regret before the speaker.
Both houses of parliament have seen many adjournments over the Constitution (One Hundred Seventeenth Amendment) Bill, 2012, which was passed by the Rajya Sabha Monday.