New Delhi: Continuing protests by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over coal block allocations Tuesday forced the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to adjourn for the day but not before the respective presiding officers quickly ensured the passage of a bill in each house.
In the Rajya Sabha, which met after repeated adjournments at 4 p.m., the house passed The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (Amendment) Bill, 2012, within a few minutes as the BJP kept up its protests.
Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad introduced the bill that seeks to establish similar premier medical institutes in six cities. Deputy ChairmanP.J. Kurien, who was presiding, ensured that the bill was passed and then adjourned the house for the day.
Earlier, at 2 p.m. when the minister had tried to introduce the bill, the BJP had drowned out his speech in loud protests, forcing Kurien to adjourn the house for two hours. The bill has already been passed by the Lok Sabha.
Earlier, the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day amid continuous din after it met at 12 noon after one adjournment.
The BJP members kept up their chant demanding Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s resignation over the government auditor’s report alleging large scale irregularities in allocating coal blocks.
Ignoring the shouting, Congress MP P.C. Chacko, who was in the chair, got passed the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Bill 2012. With this, both houses of parliament have cleared the bill, which was earlier passed by the upper house.
The AIADMK members were holding placards protesting the forthcoming visit of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to India on Sep 21 for a Buddhist celebration.
“Don’t allow Rajapaksa in Buddha celebrations at Madhya Pradesh on Sep 21,” the placards read.
Parliament’s monsoon session is set to end on Sep 7. This session has so far seen nine successive working days lost due to the BJP’s protests. (IANS)