Kamal Haasan takes oath as Rajya Sabha MP as Opposition ruckus continues

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan took oath in the Rajya Sabha along with three other MPS from Tamil Nadu on Friday (July 25). The three other MPs were Rajathi, S R Sivalingam and P Wilson.

The Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) and three other MPS from DMK took oath in Tamil. On Thursday, six members from Tamil Nadu had retired after completing their terms.

Took oath in Tamil

Kamal took the oath under the Constitution of India. Backed by the DMK and its allies, he was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu on June 12.

Tamil Nadu has 18 seats in the Upper House and is represented in Rajya Sabha by MPs from DMK, AIADMK, the Congress and the Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar). Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P. Chidambaram and former Union Minister G.K. Vasan also represent the state in the Rajya Sabha for their respective parties.

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Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day

Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day amid Opposition ruckus and will reconvene on Monday (July 28). No resolution on extending the President’s rule in Manipur was passed in the Upper House today.

Earlier in the day, Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 12 noon with the Opposition resorting to loud sloganeering after adjournment notices demanding discussion on various issues, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, were rejected.

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SIR issue

During the morning session (Zero Hour), Deputy Chairman Harivansh said he has received 28 notices under Rule 267 demanding discussion on various issues, including SIR, alleged discrimination against Bengali migrant workers in other states, and the India-UK free trade agreement.

He, however, declined all the adjournment notices and called BJP MP Ghanshyam Tiwari to make his Zero Hour mention.

Opposition members started protesting against the decision of the rejection of adjournment notices.

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Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 pm

Speaker Om Birla has called for an all-party meeting at 12.30 PM on Friday in an attempt to break the logjam that has prevented the functioning of the House since the Monsoon Session began on July 21.

The Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm on Friday amid Opposition protest over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar. It is for the fifth straight day that the Question Hour in the Lower House has been disrupted since the Monsoon session of Parliament commenced on July 21.

Within minutes after the Lower House convened for the day, Opposition members sought to raise the issue of the SIR in Bihar, with many of them standing on the aisle.

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Speaker’s request

Speaker Om Birla told the protesting members to allow the Question Hour to continue and stressed that even when there are disagreements, those should be expressed within the democratic traditions.

While mentioning that sloganeering and display of placards in the House is not appropriate, Birla also said that he can call the government and Opposition representatives, and help in discussions and sorting out the issues.

As the protests continued, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings for five minutes till 2 pm.

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INDIA bloc MPs protest against SIR

Meanwhile, several MPs belonging to the INDIA bloc parties, including Congress president Malikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi protested against the SIR in Bihar in the Parliament House Complex by tearing posters with ‘SIR’ (Special Intensive Revision) written on them and putting them in a ‘disposal bin’.

They also staged a protest march in the Parliament House complex, demanding the rollback as well as a discussion on the issue in both houses.

(With agency inputs)