Opposition MPs disrupt both houses of parliament on third day of winter session

Both houses of parliament were disrupted for the third day of the winter session on Thursday, with opposition members refusing to allow the chambers to function.

Presiding officers had to adjourn both houses till afternoon.
 
In the Lok Sabha, many opposition lawmakers rushed into the well of the house – in what has now become a routine feature – disrupting proceedings.

Some of them demanded a discussion on price rise, others on black money and Telangana MPs wanted a discussion on statehood.
 
Members from Orissa demanded a special status to the flood-affected state and shouted slogans against the government. Left MPs, who did not venture into the well, demanded an adjournment motion on the price rise.
 
Speaker Meira Kumar finally admitted the motion under rule 193, which does not entail voting. She also ruled that no other matter could be raised in the house as she had already admitted the adjournment motion.

Discussions on the motion are expected to begin in the afternoon when the Lok Sabha meets again.
 
The BJP is also demanding an adjournment motion on black money. Top Congress leaders have been interacting with their BJP counterparts, hoping to resolve the issue at the earliest and to ensure smooth functioning of the house.
 
In the Rajya Sabha, chairman Hamid Ansari urged members not to raise issues simultaneously, but to allow lawmakers to speak individually. But the elders refused to heed to Ansari's plea and did not let ministers to make statements.
 
While the UPA has failed to convince the opposition not to disrupt proceedings, the BJP – the dominant opposition party – has also not been able to reconcile differences within the opposition.

Both the left and the BJP are pursuing a different agenda, with the left keen on focussing on price rise, and the BJP concentrating on black money.
 
The BJP parliamentary party met on Thursday morning and decided that senior leader L K Advani – who has just returned from a nationwide 'rath yatra' – would move the adjournment motion on the subject.
 
The BJP wants the government to reveal the identity of 800 tax evaders, whose names have been provided by banks in Switzerland.

But the government is wary of disclosing their identities, as it fears banks in tax havens would be reluctant to share information in the future.

(See: Unruly MPs force adjournment of both houses of Parliament for second day)