Parliament proceedings paralysed for the third day

Proceedings in Parliament were paralysed for the third day running over a number of issues, including Telangana and death of 40 children in Muzaffarnagar relief camps, preventing the notices for a no-confidence motion from being taken up on Wednesday.

The issue of scheduled caste status to 17 backward castes was raised in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha by Samajwadi Party, apparently to counter the Muzaffarnagar issue being repeatedly raised by the Bahujan Samaj Party, the main detractor of the ruling SP in Uttar Pradesh.

In the Lok Sabha, placard-carrying Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam members were vociferous on the issue of seeking KatchathivuIsland back from Sri Lanka and provide safety to Indian fishermen from the Lankan navy, as they shouted slogans in the Well.

Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (Rashtriya Janata Dal) demanded removal of the UPSC Chairman and relaxation of certain norms for civil services examinations, while members from Seemandhra carried posters which said 'Save Andhra Pradesh'.

At one point, YSR Congress leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy was also seen in the aisle, joining the cause.  

The House could not take up three notices of no-confidence motion, given by R Sambasiva Rao (Cong) and five party MPs from Seemandhra region, M Venugopal Reddy (Telugu Desam Party) and YSR Congress member M Rajamohan Reddy, as part of their attempt to stall division of Andhra Pradesh.

This was because the House witnessed constant din and all attempts by Speaker Meira Kumar to bring it to order failed.

She said she was "duty bound" to bring the three notices of the no-confidence motion before the House but could not do so as the House was not in order.

Kumar then adjourned the House for the day.

Amid din, papers listed for the day were laid and Finance Minister P Chidambaram presented the Supplementary Demands for Grants (General) for 2013-14.

Functioning of Rajya Sabha was also disrupted as SP and BSP demanded Centre's nod for inclusion of 17 Other Backward Castes of Uttar Pradesh in the SC list, an issue that led to the adjournment of the House till 2 pm.

SP, which had made the promise during UP Assembly polls last year, is pressing hard for it months before the general elections are scheduled in an apparent bid to shore up its vote base.

As soon as the House re-assembled at noon after an hour-long adjournment following uproar over various issues, members from BSP and SP trooped into the Well shouting slogans in favour of the demand.

BSP members at the same time kept shouting slogans for dismissal of the SP government in the state over the death of children in Muzaffarnagar relief camps.

Amid uproar, the House was adjourned till 2 pm. When it reassembled, similar scenes were witnessed and the proceedings were adjourned for the day.

The effort for inclusion of 17 OBCs in the SC list was initiated way back in 2005, when the then SP government headed Mulayam Singh Yadav had amended the UP Public Services (Reservation for Schedule Castes, Schedule Tribes and Other Backward Castes) Act, 1994, to include these Most Backward Castes in the SC category.

They include Banjara, Kahar, Kashyap, Kewat, Nishad, Bind, Bhar, Prajapati, Rajbhar, Batham, Gaur, Tura, Majhi, Mallah, Kumhar, Dheemar and Machhua.