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| Rajya Sabha witnesses story scenes | | BJP, Congress members come to blows | | NEW DELHI, MAR 19
Rajya Sabha is widely called the 'House of Elders'. If the term 'Elders' stands for maturity and mild maners of a person, then the Opposition BJP and ruling Congress members gave a different account of their role and responsibility in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, when they virtually came to blows. All this after a senior saffron party member rushed menacingly towards Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram while he was replying to the discussion on General Budget.
This is the second time in less than 10 days that Parliament has been disrupted after members indulged in physical violence. Last week, CPI(M) and DMK members almost came to blows in the Lok Sabha on the Martime University issue.
Monday's incident occurred when BJP MP, SS Ahluwalia, rushed towards the Treasury Benches when Chidambaram was going ahead with his reply to the Budget discussion. The Congress members promptly rushed to form a cordon in front of the Minister and pulled away the BJP member to avoid an ugly situation.
Ahluwalia was trying to disrupt the Finance Minister's speech even as other Opposition members were protesting in the well of the House. Ahluwalia was then pushed by Treasury Bench members and a scuffle ensued. Information and Broadcasting Minister, Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, who tried to intervene, was also pushed. Deputy Chairman, K Rahman Khan, who was in the Chair, immediately adjourned the House for 10 minutes.
The Opposition has been disrupting the proceedings in the Upper House for the past four consecutive days over the Nandigram police firing incident. On Monday, the BJP and Trinamool members did not allow the House to take up scheduled business right from the word go, leading to two adjournments in the pre-lunch session.
As the House met after lunch, Khan called the Finance Minister to reply to the Budget discussion even as the BJP and other Opposition members trooped into the well, shouting slogans against the West Bengal government. Though Chidambaram could not be heard in the din, he strongly condemned BJP's action terming it as "travesty of democracy". Chidambaram said all sections of the House deserved to be heard on the Budget. "The BJP cannot hold the House to ransom and deny the opportunity to parties to air their views on the Budget," he said.
As the Finance Minister continued with his prepared speech, the BJP members confronted him leading to ugly scenes forcing adjournment of the House for 10 minutes. Even as the House was yet to reassemble, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh came to Rajya Sabha and was closetted with senior Ministers and party members. When the House re-assembled, Chidambaram completed his reply hurriedly amidst din. The House later approved the vote on account and returned relevant appropriation bills.
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