RS adjourned amid Opposition uproar over MPs' suspension

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 16

The Rajya Sabha failed to transact any substantial business on Thursday as Opposition members forced adjournments in the House over the suspension of 12 MPs and Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

The House was adjourned till 2 pm soon within minutes of the start of the day’s proceedings. It was later adjourned for the day shortly after 2 pm amid Opposition protests and sloganeering in the Well of the House.

In LS, Cong seeks sacking of MoS Mishra

• The Congress on Thursday demanded the removal of Minster of State (Home) Ajay Mishra
• Rahul Gandhi on Thursday moved an adjournment notice in the Lok Sabha, demanding Mishra’s sacking
• The Opposition members had shot off notices over the latest developments in the Kheri violence case
• Rahul sought adjourning the business of the House and demanded the SIT report be taken up for discussion
• Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asked Rahul Gandhi to focus on the question as it was Question Hour
• Birla adjourned the House till 2 pm amid uproar by Opposition MPs over the Lakhimpur incident. tns

As soon as the House met for the day, Opposition members were on their feet demanding revocation of the suspension of their colleagues.

The Congress had also given notices under Rule 267 for discussing the Special Investigation Team (SIT) report on the Lakhimpur violence that left eight persons, including four farmers, dead.

Soon after the laying of papers, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu urged the protesting members to return to their seats, but they carried on with their protests relentlessly.

Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge also sought to speak, but the Chairman did not allow him. Amid continued protests, the chair adjourned the House till 2 pm.

When the House met after lunch at 2 pm, the Opposition members again stormed the Well and raised slogans against the government.

The Deputy Chairman pleaded with them to allow a short discussion on the situation arising out of the Omicron variant, but the Opposition continued to protest.

As he asked Syed Zafar Islam of the BJP to carry on with the discussions, Opposition members raised their voice and stated sloganeering. Islam had merely started speaking, but the chair adjourned the House for the day amid continued din created by the Opposition.

Among other reports and papers, the report of the Joint Committee on the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019, was tabled in the House. Tabling the report, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, “This report shows the Chairman is cooperative, the government is accommodative and the Opposition is responsive.”

Earlier, the Rajya Sabha paid tributes to the valour of soldiers on the 50th anniversary of Vijay Diwas, which commemorates India’s victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war.