MDMK member makes unsuccessful bid to disrupt Prez address

New Delhi, Jun 4 (PTI) A member of MDMK (Marumalarchi
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam)unsuccessfully tried to disrupt
President Pratibha Patil's address to the joint sitting of
Parliament on Thursday as she made a reference to the Sri
Lankan conflict.

A Ganeshmurthi, a member from Erode, stood up and began
reading from a printed paper as Patil said that her government
would support initiatives in Sri Lanka which can lead to a
permanent political solution.

However, members, who were already applauding the
President's remarks on reshaping relations with Pakistan
thumped their desks more vigorously making Ganeshmurthi's
remarks inaudible.

The Central Hall of Parliament had a unique display of
the colours of the country with several members turning out in
their traditional attire.

While some members from Rajasthan and Haryana sported
colourful turbans, Bodo MP (Member of Parliament) from Assam S
Bwiswamuthiary was wearing a red jacket with intricate
designs.

However, Arunachal MP Takom Sanjay, who was seen sporting
a headgear comprising hornbill beak and feathers on the first
day of Parliament, was not wearing his unique cap today.


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The Central Hall was a full house. Several members were
seen standing at the entrance as there was no place for them
to sit.

Parliament staff made arrangements for the members to be
seated in special enclosures meant for guests which had a few
vacant seats.

A few MP's still preferred to stand throughout the
President's nearly hour-long address.


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The youth brigade of the Congress was seen sitting
separately. Rahul Gandhi was seen sitting in a rear row with
former Home Minister Shivraj Patil.

Another young Congress member R P N Singh was standing at
the entrance along with Rajiv Shukla.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)member from Baramati
Supriya Sule was seen sitting with DMK's (Dravida Munnetra
Kazhgham) Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) member
Kanimozhi.

A day after he was nominated as Leader of Opposition in
Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament), Arun Jaitley was
seated next to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance
Minister and Leader of Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament)
Pranab Mukherjee.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha L K Advani was seated
with former Prime Minister H D Devegowda and Overseas Indians
Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi.

Others in the first row were Congress President Sonia
Gandhi, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Bansal, Rajya
Sabha Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan, Union Ministers P
Chidambaram, Sharad Pawar, A K Antony, Vilasrao Deshmukh,
Sushilkumar Shinde, Virbhadra Singh, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Farooq
Abdullah and S Jaipal Reddy.

Mohammad Azharuddin, who won from Moradabad, was seen
sitting with Jyoti Mirdha, another first-time MP.

Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee opted to sit in the
rear rows.


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While a maximum number of MPs were seen wearing white
kurtas, some opted for colourful clothes.

Arun Jaitley was seen sporting a light pink kurta, while
Murli Manohar Joshi was wearing a yellow kurta, Shiv Sena
member Bharatkumar Raut was seen in a blue kurta.

Most Shiv Sena members sported saffron scarves, while
some Congress MP's were donning tricolur scarves. PTI SKU
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