MPs from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu once again stalled the Rajya Sabha on Monday, prompting an exasperated chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to adjourn the House for the day within seven minutes into the proceedings.
While the Congress feebly protested against the continued stalling of House and one member even asked the chairman to take action against the protesting MPs, Naidu did not hide his displeasure in the continued stalemate in the House.
"People are laughing at us. We should not become a joke. Don't allow this to happen. My appeal is to allow the House to function. This is not the way to conduct ourselves," the chairman said as MPs displayed posters and shouted slogans.
He said both the government and the Opposition were willing to discuss issues and he could not understand why some MPs are protesting.
"How long we should continue this. Already, people have started criticising us," he said.
Soon after papers were laid on the table, AIADMK, DMK, TDP and YSR Congress members rushed to the Well shouting slogans.
Congress MP K V P Ramachandra Rao also joined them even as Naidu requested the MPs to refrain from displaying posters.
The TDP, YSR Congress and Rao were raising the Andhra Pradesh issue, while the DMK and the AIADMK were demanding the setting up of a Cauvery Management Board.
Over the past 11 days, the House was in order only for an hour when MPs spoke on International Women's Day and during an explanation given by TDP MP Y S Chowdary on his resignation from the Narendra Modi government protesting against not granting special category status for Andhra Pradesh.
Last Friday, Naidu had said that he would be compelled to take an "extreme view" if the stalemate continued.
"I am very much pained that the Upper House has not been able to transact its business for the last two weeks. Don't test my patience... We are meeting, greeting and not doing anything and adjourning.
"We have to go by consensus or by the majority of the House. You can't dictate something and say my way or the highway. That is no way, I must tell you," he had said in the Rajya Sabha.
