AP members protest in Rajya Sabha

The Rajya Sabha witnessed minor protests on the first day of the Budget session with Congress members protesting against the non-mention of special category status to Andhra Pradesh in President Pranab Mukherjee’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament.

The House assembled for tabling the address and customary obituary references, including those on Karnataka-born R K Laxman (93) and Sarojini Mahishi (87). Congress MPs J D Seelam, Hamumantha Rao and others were on their feet soon after the national anthem was played.

“We are aggrieved. There is no mention about special category status to Andhra Pradesh,” Seelam said as Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari told him about “announcements” to be made.

Ansari then went about the proceedings, including oath-taking of newly elected members from Jammu and Kashmir, including Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Soon after, the Congress MPs once again tried to raise the issue but Ansari informed about the obituary references.

He read out obituary references on Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, sitting MP Manorama D Sharma, former members S K T Ramachandran, Kamla Sinha, Rameshwar Thakur, Anant Ram Jaiswal and Mahishi and cartoonist R K Laxman.

“His (King  Abdullah) death is an irreversible loss to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its people and also to the world community which has lost a statesman and a visionary leader. India enjoyed excellent and friendly relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the leadership of King Abdullah,” Ansari said.

Former minister Mahishi, who was also a teacher and a journalist, passed away on January 25. She was born in Dharwad. In the death of Mahishi, who also served as Editor of Kannada monthlies “Veermata” and “Samaj Kalyan”, the country has lost a distinguished parliamentarian, an able administrator and a dedicated social worker, Ansari said.

On Laxman, he said, the cartoonist possessed the ability to accurately capture the quintessence of a personality in his works. “He was convinced of the value of satire and caricature and he put them to good use through his eloquent brush strokes carrying pithy captions,” he added.