Congress protests over Arun Jaitley forces two adjournments in Rajya Sabha

New Delhi: Congress on Tuesday continued to press for the resignation of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Rajya Sabha over alleged irregularities in Delhi cricket body DDCA for the second day, forcing two adjournments before noon.

Slogan-shouting Congress members moved to the aisles and later into the Well, disrupting the proceedings. Soon after the papers were laid, Deputy Chairman PJ
Kurien disallowed Kumari Selja (Congress) from raising the issue of "a ruling BJP MP levelling serious allegations" against Jaitley over the functioning of DDCA. Jaitley headed DDCA till 2013.

"Jaitley istifa do (Jaitley should resign)," they shouted forcing Kurien to adjourn the House first till 1130 hours.

"A very serious issue has come up with a member of ruling party levelling serious allegations against Finance Minister," she said without referring to BJP lawmaker Kirti Azad.

Kurien disallowed her motion to suspend business to discuss the issue, saying the procedure for raising allegations against a member of the House was not followed.

"I am not asking you not to raise the issue. All I am saying is there is a procedure. If there is an allegation against a member, you should give written intimation to the
Chairman, you should give written intimation to member also. Without that, you cannot raise the allegation," he said disallowing the motion.

He asked her if she had given written notice to the Chairman and Jaitley. "Have to you done that. You have to intimated the member," he asked.

"For an allegation of incriminating nature, advance intimation has to be given. Then only such an allegation can be taken up," he said.

As Kurien called for Zero Hour mentions, Congress members moved into aisles shouting slogans. "Why do you obstruct Zero Hour? Zero Hour is time for members to raise important issues. What is the rational of doing this I am not able to understand," he said before adjourning the House till 1130 hours.

No sooner the House reassembled at 1130 hours, Congress members started raising slogans seeking resignation of the Finance Minister from aisle.

When Kurien called a member to raise his Zero Hour mention, the agitated Congress members rushed into the Well. Amid sloganeering, Minister of State of Parliamentary
Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi suggested that as the Congress does not want the Zero Hour and Question Hour to function, the House could immediately start discussion on the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2015.

"Take up Juvenile Bill now...It is a very important bill. The whole country is anxious," he said, but Congress members kept raising slogans in the Well.

Kurien sought the opinion of the House on taking up the bill, listed for consideration and passage in today's agenda, but the protests continued.

"Since you are not allowing Zero Hour to continue...we can take up the Juvenile bill," he said. As the protest continued, he termed it "unacceptable" and "undemocratic" and adjourned the House till noon.