Rajya Sabha adjourned amid disruptions by BSP, SP members

Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajparty Party, which support the United Progressive Alliance from outside, on Wednesday created repeated obstructions in Rajya Sabha, prompting an angry Bharatiya Janata Party to allege that the government has decided not to run the House because of its 'number game'.

Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley also demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is the Leader of the House, should clarify whether the government wanted to run the House or not.

However, as the din continued over the issue of quota in promotion for Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes in government jobs, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien adjourned the House for the day at noon.

As soon as the House assembled in the morning, BSP stalled the Question Hour demanding construction of a memorial for B R Ambedkar in Mumbai.
 
Although Chairman Hamid Ansari said a statement by the government is listed in the agenda and the announcement will be made at noon, BSP chief Mayawati insisted that Question Hour be suspended and the statement be made forthwith, leading to the adjournment of the House till noon.

When the House reassembled, Minister of State of Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla made the announcement.

Mayawati then sought to know details of the memorial plan.

The issue was resolved with an assurance that Textile Minister Anand Sharma will give a detailed reply. Then SP members trooped into the Well, shouting slogans against the quota in promotion for SC/ST in government jobs.

Interestingly, even as BSP members including its chief Mayawati kept silent and remained in their seats, some members from Congress, including J D Seelam and Praveen Rashtrapal, countered the SP members angrily.

While SP members led by Naresh Agrawal shouted in the well "Promotion Mein Reservation Nahin Chalega", some Congress members shouted back "Promotion Mein Reservation Hokar Rahega".

After the House adjourned for the day, Mayawati sat next to Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley and talked to him briefly. Jaitley and some other BJP leaders were also seen chatting with BSP leader S C Misra.

In the din, P J Kurien, who was in the Chair, asked Jaitley to initiate a discussion on the suspension of the Indian Olympic Association by the International Olympic Committee.

As unruly scenes continued, an angry Jaitley asked whether the government has decided not to allow the House to run and demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is the Leader of the House, should be called.

Noting that it is the government's job to run the House, the BJP leader pointed out that UPA allies were disrupting the House "in the number game of the government".
  
"If the government and allies continue to disrupt the House, the Leader of House should come. I want to ask whether they will allow the House to run or not," Jaitley said.

Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office V Naryanasamy sought to assure the BJP that the government was interested in running the House and "we are ready for a debate (in the Rajya Sabha)".

As the uproar continued, Kurien adjourned the House for the day.

Earlier, when the Rajya Sabha met for the day, Mayawati and her party colleagues raised the issue vociferously, stalling the Question Hour and leading to the adjournment of the House till noon.