BackLok Sabha adjourned after uproar over missing coal files
Kamal Nath introduces a motion for the suspension of 11 members for disrupting proceedings in the Lok Sabha
Premium(Priyanka Parashar/Mint )
New Delhi: Parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath on Thursday introduced a motion for the suspension of 11 members—seven from the ruling Congress and four from the Telugu Desam Party—for disrupting proceedings in the Lok Sabha with noisy protests against the ruling coalition’s decision to divide Andhra Pradesh.
The house was adjourned for a second time in the day as protesting members of Parliament (MPs) topped mikes placed on the desk of the speaker. One protesting MP, N. Sivaprasad of the Telugu Desam Party, lashed himself with a whip he had brought into the house.
The speaker has not decided on the suspension motion introduced by Kamal Nath to discipline MPs from Andhra Pradesh who have been protesting the decision to create a separate state of Telangana by bifurcating the state of 85 million people.
All opposition parties resisted the suspension. Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Left, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) were seen protesting against the government’s motion. Leader of opposition Sushma Swaraj said the BJP will not back the motion.
Earlier, the Lok Sabha was adjourned until noon after members belonging to opposition parties disrupted proceedings.
While Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members demanded a statement from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the missing files relating to coal block allocations, Communist members protested against the government’s failure to stem the rupee’s depreciation. Andhra Pradesh MPs changed slogans against the proposed division of the state.
Frequent disruptions since the house met on 5 August have upset the government’s attempts to get important Bills, including the food security Bill, approved by Parliament.
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