Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 pm amid protests by Opposition Members

Ravi S Singh
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, July 29

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Continued protests and disruptions by Opposition Benches in Rajya Sabha during Question Hour led to the adjournment of the House till 2 p.m on Thursday after it assembled following the first adjournment.

The Opposition Members stayed put in the Well, raised slogans, chants, vocalised jeering sounds, and blew whistles. Placards were also held by some of them.

“Khela Hobe,” chants were also part of the slogans, including against the Union government.

They ignored repeated warnings by Deputy Chairperson Harivansh Singh, presiding over the proceedings, of action against those blowing whistle.

“Using a whistle is against the decorum and dignity of the House. The Members will be named,” Harivansh Singh said.

The Treasury Benches and the NDA MPs, however, continued with Question Hour with an apparent air of nonchalance. The Ministers of External Affairs, Women and Child Development and The Tribal Affairs, S Jaishankar, Smriti Irani and Arjun Munda, respectively, among others, fielded supplementaries regarding their ministries.

This frayed the tempers among the Opposition Benches, resulting in more tenor and texture to their intensified slogans.

The Members were more strident when Irani was on her feet. She said the present government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was most attuned to the welfare of children and women.

With the House in disorder, Harivansh Singh reminded the Members of its resolution passed by it which reinforced the idea of its proper functioning. This too had no effect, he adjourned the House amidst the chaos.

Earlier, House Chairman Venkaiah Naidu had adjourned the House after the customary laying of papers on the Table.

The Opposition Benches erupted in protest immediately after Naidu announced that he had turned down their notices given to him under Rule 267.

The rule enjoins suspension of the other businesses of the House for a discussion on an emergent issue.

The notices were for discussion on the alleged Pegasus spy case on which the Opposition Members.

The Opposition benches have been adamant for a discussion, which has become a sticking point between them and the government.

Before the adjournment, Naidu remonstrated with the protesting Members not to force themselves on the House.

The Members, who were up on their feet, ignored the Naidu’s to maintain discipline.

They wanted to raise a point of order to oppose the rejection of their notices.

“There can be no point of order on disorder,” Naidu said in the context of ruckus in the House.