New Delhi, The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 3 pm on Wednesday, minutes after it met in the post-lunch session, with Opposition members refusing to relent on their demand for revocation of the suspension of 12 members.
This was the third adjournment of the day.
As soon as the House assembled at 2 pm, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat got up to move the Dam Safety Bill 2019 for consideration.
Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge also got up to speak, the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chair Harivansh Narayan Singh told him that he would be allowed to speak only if he had anything to contribute to the subject being discussed – the Dam Safety Bill 2019.
“The LOP wants to speak, I will allow you to speak on this subject,” the Deputy Chair said.
However, LOP Kharge raised the demand for revocation of the suspension of the 12 members. “The 12 persons who were suspended…” Kharge began, but he was not allowed to continue by the Deputy Chair.
Kharge said “This is not good”, and he was joined by Opposition members who protested loudly.
The Deputy Chair forbade the members from taking photographs of the ruckus. “Photography is not allowed. I will name the members,” he warned.
The Deputy Chair entreated the Opposition to return to their seats, and not come to the Well of the House.
“I will give permission to speak on this subject (of the Bill). Please don’t come to the well and shout, please sit down,” he said, time and again.
With the ruckus showing no signs of abating, the Deputy Chair adjourned the House till 3 pm.
Amid the din, Minister Shekhawat continued to speak on the Dam Safety Bill.
Shekhawat said that without water there can be no economic progress, and lack of water causes great hardship to people. He said there are 50,000 large and medium dam structures across the world, with the existence of the oldest dam recorded more than 2,500 years ago.
“In our country there are 5,000 plus dams, and some are older than 25 years, and there is danger of them collapsing,” he said, citing the incidence of the collapse of a dam in Andhra Pradesh, which caused great damage.
He was referring to the breach in the Annamayya irrigation project on Cheyyeru river in Andhra Pradesh last month, which led to flooding of large areas in Kadapa district.
Earlier, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 12 noon, and when it met at noon, it was adjourned for the second time till 2 pm.
The Opposition is demanding revocation of the suspension of the 12 members who were suspended on Monday for their "misconduct" on August 11, on the last day of the Monsoon Session. Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu has refused to revoke the suspension, while Leader of the House Piyush Goyal has demanded that the suspended members must first apologise.