Lok Sabha stalled, TRS MPs fight for farmers

Hyderabad: For the second consecutive day on Tuesday, proceedings in the Lok Sabha were disrupted and the House was adjourned twice amid protests by Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MPs demanding clarity on paddy procurement, a law on Minimum Support Price (MSP) and compensation for families of farmers who lost their lives during agitation against the […]

Hyderabad: For the second consecutive day on Tuesday, proceedings in the Lok Sabha were disrupted and the House was adjourned twice amid protests by Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MPs demanding clarity on paddy procurement, a law on Minimum Support Price (MSP) and compensation for families of farmers who lost their lives during agitation against the three farm laws.

The proceedings in Lok Sabha started on a noisy note. When Question Hour began, Opposition parties’ MPs started shouting slogans on various issues ranging from demand for discussion on the repeal of farm laws to the suspension of 12 members of Rajya Sabha for the entire session. Since there was no response from the Chair, the Opposition members comprising Congress, DMK, NCP, NC and some other parties staged a walkout in the Lower House over suspension of 12 MPs in the Rajya Sabha.

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The TRS members, displaying placards, trooped into the Well of the House raising slogans like ‘declare national food grain procurement policy’, ‘No injustice to developing States’, ‘Save farmers, don’t punish them’.

Speaker Om Birla repeatedly requested the TRS MPs to return to their seats and allow the House to function smoothly. “It is not right,” he said repeatedly. With the members not willing to give in, he adjourned the House till 2 pm. The same scene was witnessed when the House reconvened at 2 pm. It was adjourned again to meet at 3 pm.

When the Lok Sabha met again, the TRS MPs rushed to the Speaker’s podium, but the Speaker stated that he was ready to allow a debate if the House was in order.
Speaking on the occasion, TRS MP Nama Nageswara Rao accused the Centre of maintaining double standards on paddy procurement from Telangana. He said while the Centre says something in Delhi, it does something else to States. “For the last 60 days, the Centre has not been procuring paddy purchased by the State from farmers. We are left with no option but to fight for our farmers. If the Centre is ready to make a statement on the issue, we are ready to withdraw our protests immediately,” he asserted.
Though Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar was present in the House at that time, the Central government did not give any assurance. With no option left, the TRS MPs continued with their sloganeering even as the Speaker adjourned the House for the day. The TRS members reiterated that they will continue with their protests until the Centre makes an announcement on paddy procurement in the State.

Adjournment motion rejected in RS

In Rajya Sabha, TRS floor leader K Keshava Rao moved an adjournment motion over ‘discriminatory crop procurement policy of the Central government and non-procurement of crops from Telangana’. However, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu rejected the adjournment motion.

Later, the TRS Rajya Sabha members joined other Opposition parties in the unified protests against the suspension of 12 MPs from Rajya Sabha on Monday. They staged a demonstration at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi and demanded that the Centre revoke the suspension orders immediately.

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