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Members back in the well of House

Somnath Chatterjee

NEW DELHI: The National Democratic Alliance and the United National Progressive Alliance kept up their tempo of protests over the plight of farmers in Parliament for the third consecutive day on Thursday even as the presiding officers expressed dismay at their tactics.

In the Lok Sabha, question hour was adjourned within minutes without transaction of any business but a short spell of peace was brokered at noon to allow Finance Minister P. Chidambaram to table the Economic Survey.

Minutes before the House met for the second time, Mr. Chidambaram appealed to the NDA and UNPA leaders, seeking five seconds to table the Survey.

This spirit of accommodation extended beyond the tabling of the Survey to allow the House to take up motions for elections to a slew of committees. Once the motions were adopted, members from the two alliances were back in the well raising slogans, forcing Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to adjourn the House. From the Treasury benches, Rashtriya Janata Dal members entered the well protesting the attack on north Indians in Maharashtra.

Ahead of the first adjournment, the Speaker reprimanded the agitating members: “You are all working overtime to finish democracy.” Reminding the members of their demand for more sittings and the numerous notices submitted for discussion, he said: “With great sorrow, sadness and great resentment, I am forced to adjourn the House.” The Speaker also called for the names of all those who entered the well.

On Wednesday, he warned that action would be taken in future against those who picketed the well.

Similar scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Both times the House assembled, Samajwadi Party members were the first to enter the well, followed by MPs of the BJP and the Telugu Desam Party.

When it met for the second time, Deputy Chairman K. Rahman Khan asked Ministers to lay papers and later took up the motion of thanks on the President’s address. With the din not subsiding, he adjourned the House till Friday.

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