Rajya Sabha Adjourned After Opposition Uproar Over Suspension of MPs, Other issues

New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2  p.m after Oppostion parties protested against the suspension of 19 MPs, price rise, GST amon other things.

On Wednesday, the Upper House also adopted a motion to suspend Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member Sanjay Singh for the remaining part of the week for his "unruly behaviour" in the House.

The suspension comes a day after 19 MPs of Opposition parties including seven from the TMC, six from the DMK, besides those from the TRS, CPI-M and CPI, were suspended for their unruly behaviour in the House.

Soon after the House met for Question Hour at 12 noon, Deputy Chairman Harivansh invoked Rule 256 and named Singh for tearing papers and throwing it at the Chair on Tuesday.

The deputy chairman said Singh's action was in utter disregard of rules and the authority of the Chair.

Soon thereafter, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan moved a motion to suspend Singh from the House for the remainder of the week.

The motion was adopted by voice vote, even as opposition members continued to raise uproar in the well of the house.

The deputy chairman asked Singh to leave the House soon after the motion was adopted.

Amid continued sloganeering by opposition members, the deputy chairman adjourned the House.

Earlier, while Congress and other opposition parties wanted to raise the issue of rise in prices of essential items, AAP's Sanjay Singh rushed to the Well of the House holding placards over the hooch tragedy in Gujarat.

Lok Sabha adjourned till 12 noon due to Opp protests

Lok Sabha proceedings were disrupted on Wednesday following opposition protests over price rise and GST rate hike.

The protests forced Speaker Om Birla to adjourn the house after just 20 minutes of business even though the government assured that it was ready to start a debate on price rise on Wednesday itself.

As soon as the House met at 11 am, the Speaker welcomed a parliamentary delegation from Mozambique, which is here to witness the proceedings.

As Birla concluded his speech highlighting India-Mozambique cordial relations and started the Question Hour, Opposition members trooped into the Well, carrying anti-government placards and shouting slogans.

The Opposition also demanded the revocation of the order suspending four MPs.

Congress MPs Manickam Tagore, Ramya Haridas, T N Prathapan and S Jothimani were on Monday suspended for rest of the session for staging protests and carrying placards inside the House.

The speaker tried to run the House despite the protests and allowed Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi to reply to supplementaries related to their respective ministries.

When the protests grew louder, Birla appealed to the opposition members to go back to their seats, saying House rules and regulations were framed by the MPs themselves and they should not violate it.

He said carrying placards and shouting slogans inside the House was not allowed.

 “Such improper (ashobhaniya) behaviour is not good. You should take part in the debate. This is not good for the democracy as well as individually for you. Otherwise, I will have to use the rules framed by you,” he said.

The Speaker said people and the assemblies in the country were watching what was happening in this House.

Joshi, who is also the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has returned after recovering from a recent bout of illness and the government was ready for a debate on price rise on Wednesday itself.

As the pandemonium continued, the speaker adjourned the house till 12 noon.

Lok Sabha proceedings have been disrupted due to opposition protests ever since the Monsoon session began on July 18.