NDA lawmakers not to take salary for 23 days due to Parliament disruptions: Union Minister Ananth Kumar

Union Minister Ananth Kumar said that the Bharatiya Janata Party-National Democratic Alliance (BJP-NDA) MPs have decided not to take salary and allowances for 23 days as Parliament has not been functional.

The Parliamentary Affairs minister on Wednesday said that the MPs have taken the decision as they are paid to serve the citizens of the nation and if they are not able to do so then they have no right to take their money.

"BJP-NDA MPs have decided to not take salary & allowances for 23 days as the parliament has not been functional. This money is given to serve the people & if we are not able to do so we have no right to take the people's money," Kumar was quoted as saying by ANI.

BJP-NDA MPs have decided to not take salary & allowances for 23 days as the parliament has not been functional. This money is given to serve the people & if we are not able to do so we have no right to take the people's money: Ananth Kumar, Union Minister pic.twitter.com/A7l6AYhtPl

— ANI (@ANI) April 4, 2018

Kumar blamed Congress for disruptions in both the houses of the parliament and that the productivity of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha have dipped due to their 'undemocratic politics'.

"It's because of Congress's undemocratic politics that Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha have not been functional. We're ready to talk about all the issues but they are not letting the houses function," Kumar said.

It's because of Congress's undemocratic politics that Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha have not been functional. We're ready to talk about all the issues but they are not letting the houses function: Ananth Kumar, Union Minister pic.twitter.com/y1CERwJBJF

— ANI (@ANI) April 4, 2018

Earlier, Kumar slammed Congress president Rahul Gandhi for not allowing the parliament to function. He accused Gandhi of not understanding the nuances of legislative functioning.

The Union Minister also said in the last two years, Parliament had 95% to 98% performance. But it has dipped to a virtual zero, since Gandhi took reigns of the main Opposition party. 

Both the houses of Parliament on Wednesday once again witnessed disruptions for the the 20th consecutive day. 

Lok Sabha was disrupted due to protests by AIADMK members seeking early constitution of the Cauvery water management board.

Soon after the House met to take up the day's business, AIADMK members trooped into the Well and raised slogans seeking immediate constitution of the board.

As pandemonium prevailed, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till noon after AIADMK members ignored her requests to return to their seats.

At noon, even before the House was re-assembled, AIADMK members carrying placards trooped into the Well of the House shouting slogans such as 'we want justice' and 'we demand Cauvery board'.

After the listed papers were laid, Congress, NCP, Left, TDP and RJD members were standing at their seats seeking the Speaker's ruling on notices they had given on the no- confidence motion, moved by some of them.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan appealed to AIADMK members to return to their seats, saying she cannot take up notices on the no-confidence motion unless the House is in order.

"I am duty bound to place the no-confidence motion. Please go to your seats. I have to do a head count. I have not been able to take up notices on the no-confidence motion," she said.

As the unrelenting AIADMK members continued their sloganeering, the Speaker said that she was not in a position to take up notices for no-confidence motion and announced adjournment of the House for the day.

Similarly, Rajya Sabha too witnessed an unprecedented state of affairs as it was adjourned 11 times, as the Opposition and the government clashed over technicalities of the passage of an anti-graft amendment bill with the latter insisting that it should be adopted without debate.

While the House was first adjourned till 2 PM within 20 minutes after it met at 11 AM due to opposition protests, it saw ten adjournments in a row within three hours, after it re-convened in the afternoon.

When the House met at 2 PM, members of Congress, AIADMK, BSP, CPI-M, AAP, TDP and YSR were in the Well holding placards and shouting slogans -- "Narendra Modi - Dalit Virodhi" (Narendra Modi is anti-Dalit) and "Dalit virodhi yeh sarkar, nahi chalegi" (this anti-Dalit government will not be tolerated).

The Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) members were protesting against the softening of certain provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

While the TDP were protesting for the special status for Andhra Pradesh, both DMK and AIADMK have been demanding for the immediate constitution of Cauvery Water Management Board.

Expressing his displeasure over the repeated disruptions in the house since Parliament met, Naidu requested the Opposition for cooperation.
criticised the members for murdering democracy by relentlessly protesting and not allowing the transaction of any bills.

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, who is also the speaker of the Upper House, on Wednesday criticised the members for murdering democracy by relentlessly protesting and not allowing the transaction of any bills.

"We have not transacted any bills, the country wants development, you are testing the patience of the people of the country. Please understand that the entire country is agitated with what is happening in the House. The House stands adjourned till 2 pm," Naidu said.

Meanwhile, leaders of more than a dozen opposition parties today met Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to demand a discussion on key issues of national importance.

The opposition leaders also met Rajya Sabha Chairman Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to put forth their demand for a discussion on issues like the SC-ST Act, the CBSE paper leak and the PNB bank fraud.

The Congress said it would not mind if the session was extended by a day or two.

"We want to hold discussions on key issues of national importance and we also want to pass legislation. The government should take the lead in doing do. We are not averse even if the session is extended by a day or two," said Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad.

(With PTI inputs)