Congress Makes Strong Demand for Private Bill on Special Package to Andhra Pradesh

New Delhi: Main opposition Congress on Monday threatened not to cooperate with the government on legislative business unless a private member's bill on special package for Andhra Pradesh is taken up.

The Bill, which was to be moved by Congress MP KVP Ramchandra Rao on Friday during private member business, could not be taken up as the House was adjourned following ruckus over AAP MP Bhagwant Mann's controversial filming of Parliament.

When the House met, Anand Sharma (Congress) raised the issue saying grave injustice was done when ruling party and its Cabinet Ministers disrupted the House. This resulted in the private bill not being taken up.

"The situation was entirely the creation of government," he said, demanding that the bill be listed as item number one when private member business is listed.

Sharma said the government is silent on the issue. "That day, they were shouting vociferously. Today they have lost their voice," he said.

"We cannot allow government business to be taken up (unless the private member bill is taken up)."

The Congress party, he said, was not coming in the way of government business but registering its protest over the way an important bill was scuttled.

Members have a right to seek implementation of a package for Andhra Pradesh, he said adding if the bill was not listed, the Congress will not cooperate on government business.

Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien said the bill can only be taken up on August 5 as, according to practice, private bills and resolutions are taken up on alternate Fridays.

Satyavrat Chaturvedi (Congress) said the ruling side had disrupted the proceedings of Rajya Sabha last Friday seeking suspension or arrest of Mann, who is not a member of the Rajya Sabha, and such action was not within the jurisdiction of the House.

With no assurance coming from the government on the private members bill, Congress members kept raising the issue from their seats even as Kurien moved to take up zero hour issues. He disallowed any further discussion on the matter.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was present in the House but did not respond to the demand for taking up the bill seeking special package for Andhra Pradesh.