Thaindian News

New Delhi, April 23 (IANS) A day after the issue disrupted the Lok Sabha, the absence of Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister M.K. Alagiri rocked the Rajya Sabha Friday when he failed to show up during question hour.
So vociferous were the protests led by V. Maitreyan and other AIADMK members that Chairman Hamid Ansari even threatened to adjourn the house if they did not resume their seats.

Trouble erupted when Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Srikant Jena rose to answer a question relating to the performance of Hindustan Insecticides Limited.

Maitreyan and his fellow AIADMK members immediately protested. “The house is in session and the minister is not present. The minister of state is replying. Has he taken your permission to go on a private visit?” he asked Ansari.

“If you want to know the answer, come to my chamber and I will give it,” the chairman replied.

As other opposition members also raised their voices and the treasury benches attempted to defend Alagiri’s absence, an exasperated Ansari said: “If these altercations continue, I will be forced to adjourn the house.”

Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley of the Bharatiya Janata Party then rose to say: “The entire ministry is accountable to parliament. Is the government taking the position that one minister is not accountable?”

Ansari noted that this was a “valid question but not to be taken up during question hour”.

“We can proceed (with question hour) but how can one minister be non-accountable? The chair will have to take this up,” Jaitley said.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Prithviraj Chavan interjected to say that the reply was being given “as per procedures” even as A. Raja, the minister for communications and information technology, demanded of Jaitley: “How can you say that the minister is non-accountable?”

Raja was restrained and question hour then continued.

When a similar issue arose in the Lok Sabha Thursday, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said Alagiri was abroad and the rules permit the minister of state to answer questions related to the ministry.

Alagiri has been absent for many days during the budget and winter sessions of parliament.

The son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, he had sought Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar’s permission to answer questions in Tamil as he is not comfortable speaking in English or Hindi.