17th Lok Sabha off to a tumultuous start

The seventeenth Lok Sabha got off to a tumultuous start on Friday, as members from the Opposition and the treasury benches sparred with each other over different issues, prompting newly-elected Speaker Om Birla to don the hat of a strict disciplinarian.

It was trouble right from the start, as Trinamool members said that they had given adjournment notices which were rejected by the Speaker, who advised them to raise the issue during Zero Hour.

The Speaker had to tick off several members – both from the ruling as well as the Opposition benches – over a lengthy preface to their supplementary questions during the Question Hour.

The issue of sharing of Cauvery river water between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu led to a verbal duel between DMK members and some BJP members from Karnataka.

As soon as DMK member D Ravikumar rose to urge the Speaker to list the Cauvery water-sharing issue for discussion in the House next week, BJP members Shobha Karandlaje, Naveen Kumar Kateel, Tejasvi Surya, and a few others were on their feet opposing the move. Sumalatha, the Independent member from Mandya, also joined them.

“There is no water in the Cauvery. Bengaluru doesn't have adequate drinking water,” Karandlaje said, prompting DMK members to hit back. Similar scenes were repeated when VCK member Thol Thirumaavalavan sought a discussion on the implementation of the order of the Cauvery Water Management Board.

Several members protested as the Speaker sought to crack the whip to prevent cross-talk during the proceedings.

“Is this a primary school? We are elected members,” a few Opposition members were heard saying as Speaker asked them to refrain from talking among themselves while the House proceedings were on.

The Speaker also asked BJP members Kaushal Kishore and Ajay Theni to keep the questions short and speak to the point and not to digress from the topic under discussion.