New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Tuesday witnessed unprecedented scenes when members of eight parties, who had moved no-confidence motions against the government, stood up with placards with numbers written on them so that Speaker Sumitra Mahajan could count that the mandatory 50 MPs were present in order to take the motion into consideration.
The eight parties, including TDP, YSR Congress, Congress, CPIM) and the CPI, decided in the morning not to go into the Well of the House but remain seated so that the Speaker who had been saying that she was unable to take up the no-confidence motion due to pandemonium can give the go-ahead for a discussion.
However, AIADMK which has 37 MPs in the Lower House played spoil sport by protesting in the Well and the Speaker adjourned the House first till 12 noon on this.
Despite the House being adjourned, the Opposition parties remained put and were seen discussing on further strategy.
When the House reassembled, all the MPs whose parties had moved no-confidence motions were seen carrying placards saying “For no-confidence” with numbers written on them.
The AIADMK members but trooped into the well again started sloganeering. Following this the Speaker Ms Mahajan said that though she was duty bound to admit the motion, she could not take it up as there was no order in the house.
A slanging match between Opposition and treasury benches ensued with both Parliamentary Affairs minister Ananth Kumar and Leader of the House of Congress Mallikarjun Kharge saying that they were ready for a discussion.
Soon the Speaker adjourned the house for the day.
However, all was not over as an almost fist fight broke out between Congress MP and the AIADMK ones after adjournment and timely intervention by some others saved the day.
