DMK MP faints in Rajya Sabha during protests

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam member Vasanthi Stanley on Wednesday fainted in the Rajya Sabha while shouting slogans on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue, leading to a chaotic situation in the House.

Renuka Chowdhary, who was in the Chair, immediately adjourned the House till 2 pm and called in doctors to attend to Stanley, who lay unconscious on the floor.

The DMK member was immediately rushed to Safdarjung Hospital after two doctors attended to her in the House. A stretcher as well as a wheel chair was also brought in, but Stanley preferred to walk with support of DMK members, including party leader in the House Tiruchi Siva.

Members from the ruling party including Ambika Soni, D Purandeshwari, Rajeev Shukla as well as those from All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and other parties rushed to help the sick member.

Earlier, the House was adjourned till noon over the issue of Sri Lankan Tamils and Union Minister Beni Prasad Verma's remarks against Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.

As the House re-assembled, members from DMK and AIADMK trooped into the Well, shouting slogans to protest atrocities on Tamils in Sri Lanka and the alleged killing of Prabhakaran's son by Lankan forces.

At the same time, SP members led by Naresh Agarwal sought Verma's dismissal.

In the meantime, Stanley fell unconscious, triggering a chaotic situation.

After adjourning the House, Chowdhary left her seat and went to the Well to ask Stanley how she was feeling.

"Did you have your breakfast, madam," she asked.

Chowdhary then asked members to leave and make way for Stanley, while asking for doctors to attend to her. Stanley rested in a seat for a while before being taken to the hospital.