Uproar in Parl over Oppn's 'T-shirt with slogan' protest

Lok Sabha on Thursday was adjourned for the day as opposition members protested in the House wearing T-shirts with slogans on the issue of delimitation of parliamentary and assembly constituencies.

IMAGE: INDIA alliance leaders protest against the 'unfair delimitation' at Parliamnet complex in New Delhi. Photograph: @KanimozhiDMK

Krishna Prasad Tenneti, who was in the Chair, requested the Opposition members to come back to the House in "proper shape".

"We have a discussion on agriculture. Such an important topic of the country you are not allowing the discussion to take place. I request you to cooperate and let the proceedings go on," he urged the Oposition members.

When they did not comply, Tenneti adjourned the House for the day.

Lok Sabha on Thursday witnessed repeated adjournments over this matter.

Earlier, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla objected to the DMK members wearing T-shirts with slogans written on them, and said such actions were against the rules of procedure of the House.

Birla adjourned the proceedings till noon. Similar scenes were witnessed when the House reconvened at 12 noon and TDP member Tenneti, who was in the chair, adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.

DMK members were wearing white T-shirts with slogans '#fairdelimitation Tamil Nadu will fight, Tamil Nadu will win' written on them.

"House functions with rules and procedures. Members have to maintain the dignity and honour of the House. But some MPs are not following the rules and violating the dignity which is not acceptable," Birla said when the House met at 11 am.

The Speaker directed those members, who came wearing T-shirts with slogans written on them, to go out of the House and come back with proper dress maintaining dignity.

"However big a leader is, such undignified attire is not acceptable inside the House. Go outside, change your clothes and come back with a proper dress," he told the members citing parliamentary rules and adjourned the House till 12 noon.

DMK members have been trying to raise the issue of delimitation in the Lok Sabha, but Speaker had rejected their pleas contending that the issue is nowhere on the government radar as the census of population was yet to be conducted.