RS stalled over package to Andhra

New Delhi, July 25

The Congress today disrupted proceedings of the Rajya Sabha as it demanded that the House should discuss a private member’s Bill granting special status to Andhra Pradesh.

While it charged the government with scuttling the Bill, the ruling coalition accused it of misbehaving with Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal. The uproar resulted in stalling of the post-lunch proceedings due to which the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2016, could not be taken up for consideration.

The Congress said it would not allow business unless the Andhra Pradesh special status Bill was discussed. It claimed the Bill was scuttled in the House on Friday due to “government-sponsored” pandemonium.

Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien said, “The Bill can now be taken up only on Friday (August 5) —the day the private members’ resolutions are taken up.” But the Opposition refused to comply.

Congress member Madhusudan Mistry said there was a provision for changing the day for private members’ business.

On last Friday, the Bill on Andhra Pradesh was listed but could not be taken up due to ruckus over AAP leader Bhagwant Mann’s controversial video on Parliament security. Harsimrat, who wanted to speak on the issue, was not allowed as Kurien wanted to introduce the Bill first.

Questions were also raised on the presence of Harsimrat in the House of which she was not a member. Later, the minister complained to RS Chairman Hamid Ansari that she was not allowed to raise the issue of Parliament security in the Upper House. — TNS