RS adjourns amid chaos, fails to transact business

New Delhi, July 31

Rajya Sabha was forced to adjourn twice on Friday after Opposition’s repeated disruptions of the House to demand the dismissal of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and the Central Government’s steadfast refusal to heed the demands ensured the impasse continued. Chaos finally forced the House to adjourn until Monday without transacting business.

The Opposition has demanded Swaraj’s dismissal for her alleged involvement in helping former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi ‘flee’ the country amid a raging scandal involving the tournament in 2010, while they want Chouhan to resign over the multic-rore recruitment scandal involving Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board, otherwise known only by its Hindi name, Vyapam.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad moved a motion to adjourn the House and to demand an explanation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on what action he was taking against Chouhan.

The Central Government continued to ignore the demands, instead blaming the Opposition for disrupting the House when they were willing to discuss the two controversies, with the House finally adjourned at 2.35 pm amid protests and noise.

Chaos largely reigned the House throughout the day soon after obituary references were made, with the House only briefly settling down postpone the list of business regarding Private Members' Resolutions has been the next session and to adopt a motion to withdraw the National Commission for Heritage Sites Bill, 2009.

Congress members stood in the aisle and raised slogans seeking action against Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje for allegedly helping controversial former IPL head Lalit Modi and Chouhan over the Vyapam scam.

When it became clear that the House would not be able to carry out its business —the House could not function during Zero Hour at 11 am and during Question Hour at 12 pm —Azad said that Private Members' Resolutions could be kept for the next session when the House met again at 2.30 pm: a suggestion seconded by D Raja of CPI, who had moved one of the resolutions,

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi accused the Opposition of not appearing ready to discuss the controversies.

"Nobody will resign, we have said it many times. Modi government will not act on baseless allegations," Naqvi said.

Amid the din, Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien, who was on the Chair, attempted to broker peace by asking the Central Government and Opposition to resolve the deadlock

Kurien momentarily lost his cool after an opposition member left his seat to repeatedly interrupt him.

With neither side willing to give up their stand, the House had to be adjourned until Monday. — PTI