RS adjourned till 1245 hrs on Andhra CM 'corruption' issue

New Delhi, Dec 15: The Rajya Sabha was today adjourned till 1245 hrs today following pandemonium with the Telugu Desam Party, Samajwadi Party and AIADMK demanding that a discussion be held on the issue of 'illegal' possession of land by Andhra Chief Minister Y Rajshekhar Reddy while the Government turned down the demand.

The matter was raised during zero hour by TDP's Ravula Chandra Sekar Reddy who demanded that a discussion be held on the issue.

However, Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan informed him that the Chairman has rejected his motion as it was a state subject and the matter was under consideration of Andhra Pradesh assembly. He said the rules didnot permit the matter to be raised in the house.

The TDP members, supported by Samajwadi Party and AIADMK, persisted with their demand pointing out that the matter was of urgent importance and they couldnot raise it in the assembly as 43 of the opposition members have been suspended by the assembly yesterday.

The TDP is demanding the resignation of the Chief Minister for violating three laws governing land transactions in Andhra Pradesh. The party is demanding prosecution of the Chief Minister under the Land Reforms Act for possessing illegal land of which 310.57 acres he surrendered recently.

When, despite their repeated demands, the Chair refused to let them raise the matter in the house, members of TDP, SP and AIADMK trooped into the well of the House raising slogans against the Chief Minister. They said that since it was an issue of corruption and 43 MLAs have been suspended, the Upper House must debate the issue.

Some Congress members, however, stood up to resist their demand.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Suresh Pachauri quoted Rules 169 and 230 to point out that the condition for admissibility showed that if the matter did not concern the Government of India, it could not be raised in Parliament and also if the issue concerned a High authority, a substantive motion be brought in the House. He said that since the matter involved the Chief Minister, the TDP must give a substantive motion.

Pointing out that the zero hour notice could not be termed substantive, Mr Khan asked the TDP members to give a ''substantive motion'' so that the matter could be raised in the House.

He pleaded with the members to allow the house to function and listen to the statement being made by Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh on the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and allow the House to function as there was a lot of business left to be cleared.

However, when the TDP and other party members persisted with their demand and continued shouting slogans, the Deputy Chairman adjourned the house for 15 minutes till 1245 hrs.

UNI