Uproar in Parliament for 2nd day over language, delimitation and EPIC row

New Delhi: The issues of 'EPIC', alleged Hindi imposition and delimitation hogged limelight for the second day on Tuesday in Parliament as MPs staged protests, walked out and forced an adjournment seeking immediate discussion on the issues.

MPs from DMK and Congress lawmakers from Tamil Nadu staged a protest outside Parliament House against Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for his contentious remarks against Tamil Nadu government on National Education Policy.

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for around 40 minutes during the morning session as Opposition MPs demanded a discussion on delimitation claiming that southern states will get a raw deal in the redrawing of constituencies on the basis of population.

Raising the issue of delimitation during Zero Hour, DMK's R Girirajan said states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Punjab would stand to lose Parliamentary seats because they had implemented family planning but states with poor family planning programmes and higher fertility rates like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan would gain.

He said if population is made the sole basis of the exercise, the proportion of MPs from South India will fall as compared to the present. "Delimitation disproportionately penalises southern India progressive states like Tamil Nadu, while rewarding those who failed to control their population in last three decades. The Union government's approach to delimitation is fundamentally unjust," he alleged.

Soon after Girirajan finished his speech, DMK MPs demanded that there should be a discussion. They were supported by other parties, who urged Deputy Chairman Harivansh to allow Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to speak.

Harivansh said he had allowed Kharge to speak as also the notices for suspending business to discuss the issue was rejected. As protests continued, he adjourned the House till 12 noon.

Earlier in the day, BJD and Trinamool Congress MPs along with some others walked out of Rajya Sabha after their demand for a discussion on multiple Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) having identical numbers was rejected. All seven BJD MPs had submitted notices.