Budget Session of Parliament : Another unproductive day in Lok Sabha

Vociferous protests by AIADMK members led to adjournment of Lok Sabha proceedings for the day, with the House failing to take up the no-confidence notices given by several opposition members.

As the House convened at noon after a brief adjournment, members of the Congress, TDP, the Left and other opposition parties pressed for their demand for taking up the no- confidence notices.AIADMK members trooped into the Well, raising slogans and demanding setting of the Cauvery water management board to implement water-sharing between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Slogans such as 'we want justice' drowned the voice of other members who wanted to raise their issues.

Attacking the Opposition, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar held the Congress responsible for the impasse. Referring to placards brought by the Congress and other opposition parties yesterday to display the number of members supporting the no-confidence motion, Kumar said the act was against proceedings of the House. "We are ready for the no-confidence motion whenever the House in the order," Kumar said. To this Mallaikarjun Kharge, Congress's Leader of the House, said even the opposition was ready for the no- confidence motion.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she could not bring the no- confidence notices till the House was in order. "I have received no-confidence notices by several members. I am duty bound to bring these notices. But how can I if the House is not in the order. I will not be able to bring the notices," the speaker said. Earlier in the day, the proceedings of the Lok Sabha were once again rocked by noisy protests by AIADMK members and the Speaker adjourned the House till noon, warning that if the din continues, she may have to adjourn sine die.

She said other members want the AIADMK to end their protest. Mahajan said if the din continued, "I may have to adjourn the House sine die (brining to an end the Budget session)".