Business in Rajya Sabha was on Thursday deadlocked with the opposition objecting to All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader V Maitreyan being asked to leave the House after he sought the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's response to charges against his cabinet colleague T R Baalu for favouring his sons' firms.
As soon as the House assembled for the post-lunch sitting, BJP and Third Front members were on their feet protesting against Chairman Hamid Ansari asking Maitreyan to 'withdraw' from the House by invoking a rarely-used rule against the member on Thursday morning.
They wanted the issue to be resolved before any other business was taken up and stalled the proceeding for 80 minutes.
After the prolonged logjam, marked by slogan shouting and clashes between the ruling and opposition benches, P J Kurien, who was in the Chair, adjourned the House for the day leaving the issue to be sorted out by the Business Advisory Committee headed by the Chairman.
Baalu had on Wednesday admitted that he had 'put in a word' with Petroleum Minister to get natural gas allocation to two companies owned by his sons.
Earlier, when the House met in the morning, Maitreyan demanded a response from Dr Singh, who was present in the Upper House.
When the Chairman disallowed his plea and asked him not to disrupt the proceedings, Maitreyan, supported by his party colleagues, refused to relent and continued to press for a 'clarification from the prime minister'.
Ansari then warned him that he would invoke Rule 255 saying 'this is disorderly behaviour; unbecoming of a Parliamentarian.'
Under the Rule 255, invoked for the first time since 1989, the Chairman can ask a member to leave the House if he feels that his behaviour was grossly disorderly.
"I am invoking this rule against you (Maitreyan)," Ansari said, after which Maitreyan walked out of the House.
Other AIADMK members, though not reprimanded, followed suit.
Neither the prime minister nor Baalu, who was also present, intervened during the pre-lunch episode.
When the House met after lunch recess, BJP leader Sushma Swaraj raised the issue and was supported by members from SP, AIADMK, TDP and other opposition parties.
After Kurien disallowed 'any criticism' against the ruling of the Chair, the opposition members said they were not criticising the Chair but felt hurt and were airing their sentiments.
In the ensuing stalemate, the House witnessed uproarious scenes with opposition members shouting slogans demanding protection of their rights.
Swaraj said though members from all sides, including ministers, had disrupted the proceedings, she had never seen a party leader being named and asked to leave never during her long term in Rajya Sabha.
When Kurien said the Chair's ruling cannot be questioned, Amar Singh (SP) said: "There must not be selective use of rules."
Kurien said, "I am helpless. Instead of shouting here, go and meet the Chairman."
