Budget Session heads for washout

New Delhi: The second leg of the Budget Session of Parliament headed for a complete washout on Thursday, with the penultimate day witnessing adjournment of both the Houses without transacting any legislative business.

Noisy protests by AIADMK members seeking early constitution of the Cauvery water management board saw the House being adjourned for the day.

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi was also seen agitated over certain names being taken by parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar holding them and her party responsible for the disruptions in the House.

Soon after the House met to take up the day’s business, AIADMK members trooped into the Well and raised slogans seeking immediate constitution of the board.

As pandemonium prevailed, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till noon.

At noon, even before the House was re-assembled, AIADMK members carrying placards trooped into the Well of the House shouting slogans such as ‘we want justice’ and ‘we demand Cauvery board’.

After the listed papers were laid, Congress, NCP, Left, TDP and RJD members were standing at their seats seeking the Speaker’s ruling on notices they had given on the no-confidence motion, moved by some of them.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said the Congress and the entire opposition were ready for a discussion on the no- confidence motion moved by some of them besides looking for debates on alleged dilution of SC/ST Act, PNB scam involving diamantaire Nirav Modi.

“We are ready for discussion. Kindly allow us to move the no-confidence motion to discuss various issues,” he said.

The Rajya Sabha was also adjourned for the day without transacting any business on Thursday, as it saw the Congress and the BJP accusing each other of blocking the passage of an anti-graft amendment bill and the Chair warning members protesting in the Well of suspension.