Updated

New Delhi, Aug 11 (PTI): Unabated uproar by Congress members in the Lok Sabha today invited the wrath of Speaker Sumitra Mahajan who called their protests "murder of democracy" and "hijacking" the rights of 440 members by 40-50 others in the Opposition.

Mahajan also asked the Lok Sabha TV, which broadcasts live proceedings of the House, to show the "irresponsible" opposition members so that the whole country could see their behaviour.

The Speaker's angry response came as protesting members intensified their slogan-shouting in the Well and the Chair refused to adjourn the House and deciding to continue with the work.

Many Congress members were seen raising placards close to the Speaker's podium so that they could be seen on camera, prompting Parliamentary Affairs Ministry M venkaiah Naidu to launch an attack on the main opposition party Congress, before Mahajan too spoke against it.

"What is this happening? 20 people cannot dictate the entire House. Let action be taken. What kind of tamasha is this? They go to the Speaker's house to protest and are now showing placards on the face of the Speaker," Naidu said as Congress members raised slogans on their demands.

Naidu's response came after BJP veteran L K Advani was too seen expressing concern over the disruptions to Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Naidu.

Congress is insisting that it would not allow Parliament to function till action is taken against External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and BJP chief ministers Vasundhara Raje and Shivraj Singh Chouhan for their alleged role in Lalit Modi and Vyapam controversies.

As Naidu spoke, Mahajan lamented "what can be done" before attacking the protesting members, some of whom were apparently urging her to adjourn the House.

"Show them on TV. I am requesting the Lok Sabha TV. This is not the way. I won't adjourn the House... Let people see what kind of behaviour they are showing. Let whole of India watch. 40 people are hijacking the rights of 440 members.

"This is murder of democracy. This is not democracy. 440 members want to talk and 40-50 members are not letting them. Let people know how irresponsible they are. The Chair has no wish of being seen on the TV. Let people watch them," she said.

Earlier Report

PM Modi hails Mulayam's support to end logjam in Parliament

New Delhi, Aug 11 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today hit out at Congress for "misusing" Parliament to stop the country's growth and hailed SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav for "understanding this conspiracy" and working to end the logjam in the House.

Addressing the last scheduled BJP parliamentary party meet in the Monsoon session, Modi spoke of "some people", a reference to top Congress brass, who are working to stall economic growth, Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy told reporters after the meeting.

"The Prime Minister said a message has gone out as the session draws to a close that there are some people who are using misusing Parliament to stop the pace of country's development. Their main goal is to stop the economic growth.

"He expressed his gratitude to those, especially Muyalayam Singh Yadavji, and all those parties who have felt that this is a conspiracy to stop the country's progress. He hailed them and asked the party and members to do so as well," Rudy said quoting Modi.

The SP supremo yesterday broke ranks with the opposition which has been agitating in Parliament over the Lalit Modi row and the Vyapam scam, saying, "Enough is enough... We will not back you if you keep protesting."

This came as a surprise to Congress as Yadav had last week extended his party's support to Congress after 25 of its members were suspended by the Speaker.
Congress had sarcastically dubbed the SP supremo as 'Khudai Khidmatgar', which implies that a person is more loyal than the king himself.

"If Yadav had any plan or was wanting to mediate, he should have talked to the Congress and should not have gone about the way he had gone," a Congress leader had said.

Rudy said Modi also asked members to take up the promotion of social welfare and security schemes launched by his government as a campaign between Independence Day on August 15 and Rakshabandhan, which is later this month, as they can be of big help to the poor.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley spoke about the GST bill, which the government is trying hard to pass in this session.

Modi said the pension and insurance schemes launched by the government and the Mudra bank can go a long way in helping the poor and asked members to promote these schemes in a big way among them.

BJP has singled out Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi for the impasse in both the Houses, saying not many leaders in the opposition parties want to stall work but the top leaders have been "stubborn".