TDP, Shiv Sena MPs force LS adjournment over Babli

The Telugu Desam Party on Wednesday voiced its opposition to the illegal constructions of barrages over river Godavari as part of the Babli Irrigation Project in the Lok Sabha, forcing the House to be adjourned twice, first briefly when the proceedings commenced and later till 12 pm, as the party MPs argued with their counterparts belonging to the Shiv Sena.

The storm over the Babli issue spilled over to the Well of the House when the Tdp MPs, led by Nama Nageshwara Rao raised slogans demanding an immediate halt to the ongoing work on the project. The Shiv Sena MPs took umbrage to the slogan shouting and responded with their own slogans. The Tdp MPs’ slogans of ‘Stop Babli Project’ and ‘We want PM’s involvement’ were countered by the Shiv Sena MP’s slogans ‘Babli Wahin Banayenge’ (we will construct Babli at that spot).

The Shiv Sena MPs were led by the party’s deputy leader Anandrao Adsul. As the slogan shouting intensified, a Bharatiya Janata Party MP also joined the Shiv Sena MPs in the protest.

Speaker Meira Kumar tried to calm down the slogan shouting Members by telling them to take their respective seats, but the MPs remained adamant and the slogan shouting refused to die down.

This prompted Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj to try and calm down the agitating members but she her request too was brushed aside.

N Shivaprasad asked her why should the Tdp MPs stick to rules in the House when the Maharashtra government violated even the Supreme Court’s orders on the issue.