Parliament disrupted after uproar over charges against Karti Chidambaram, Smriti Irani

Former Union minister P Chidambaram’s son Karti’s alleged involvement in the Aircel-Maxis case on Tuesday disrupted both Houses of Parliament as AIADMK members launched a scathing attack on the duo.

The Rajya Sabha also saw massive protests taking place in the House over the same issue.

The MPs of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) demanded the arrest of Karti Chidambaram over documents seized by enforcement agencies investigating the Aircel-Maxis issue.

The AIADMK members were displaying copies of an English daily, which claimed that Karti has invested in real estate across the world, according to investigations by the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax authorities during a search of his property.

During the brief periods for which the House met amid adjournments, the Congress accused AIADMK members of disrupting the proceedings at the behest of the ruling BJP.

Amid continued din, the Speaker asked AIADMK leader P Venugopal to speak on the issue they were trying to raise. “The attempt is obviously to distract attention from HRD minister Smriti Irani misleading Parliament and the disappointing Budget which is inflationary”, Congress chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala said.

Where AIADMK people interrupted the procedures by yelling slogans demanding activity from the Chidambarams comparable moments were observed within the Rajya Sabha also.

Meanwhile, the Congress members sought to know from the Speaker about the status of their notices of privilege motion against Irani.

The Houses were repeatedly adjourned throughout the day. The Congress leaders said that AIADMK members can not take the name of Chidambaram and Karti, who were not the members of the House.

Both the Houses witnessed continuous disruptions due to the slogan-shouting by AIADMK members who were in the Well, forcing repeated adjournments.

The chair kept on asking the protesting members to take their seats as the motion of thanks on President Pranab Mukherjee’s speech needed to be taken up but there was no stopping the sloganeering.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy said: “It’s a matter of corruption and the government is not going to protect anyone”.

The AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa shares a bitter relationship with Chidambaram since the early nineties and has never lost an opportunity to hit out at him in the past two decades.

The party demanded action against former Union minister P Chidambaram’s son for his involvement in the Aircel-Maxis scam.

Mahajan said: “I allowed you to speak but this is not fair to disturb the house after speaking”. This is murder of democracy,”he said”.