The Centre on Tuesday reiterated its stand that it was not possible to grant Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh. The central government was replying to a question by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) member Kanakamedala Ravindrakumar in the Rajya Sabha.
Pointing out that it had provided a 'special package' to the state which provided special financial assistance, the Centre also cited the 14th Finance Commission and said that the report did not allow it to grant SCS to Andhra Pradesh.
Proceedings in both Houses of Parliament were disrupted for the sixth consecutive day on Tuesday over various issues, including the Rafale fighter jets deal.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day minutes after it met in the post-lunch session amid ruckus by both opposition and treasury benches. As soon as the House met, Congress member Anand Sharma raised a point of order and referred to a remark made by Minister of State (MoS) for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel in the morning with respect to Congress President Rahul Gandhi. Sharma said Goel, who had sought an apology from Gandhi for allegedly making false allegations against the government on the Rafale deal, had violated the rules as the Congress chief was not a member of the Rajya Sabha.
This led to noisy exchanges between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Paty (BJP) members, who were on their feet. In the meantime, the AIADMK members again trooped to the podium with placards. Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the House for the day amid the ruckus.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day hours after it met as both opposition and treasury benches created a ruckus, prompting admonitions from the Speaker for being unruly and "worse than school kids". Following the first adjournment at noon, when the House reassembled, the scene inside the lower House was no different.
Speaker Sumitra Mahajan tried to transact the business for the day but was repeatedly interrupted due to the sloganeering. "It's not sending a good message outside. I have heard from people from abroad asking what is happening in the Indian Parliament," she said.
Mahajan said she had received feedback that even school children behaved better than parliamentarians. But no amount of chiding helped as the Congress, AIADMK and the TDP members trooped near the Speaker's podium and started raising slogans against the government.
IANS inputs