New Delhi, Aug 4 (IANS) The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2 p.m. on Tuesday amid continued sloganeering by Opposition members, who refused to heed the Chair’s repeated appeals to restore order during Question Hour.
The House had witnessed heavy protests and a major ruckus in the morning session over the Ram Temple donation issue, forcing an adjournment till noon. When it reassembled at noon, Opposition members again started sloganeering, creating a noisy atmosphere.
Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan initiated proceedings with Question Hour.
As the din continued, the Minister for Consumer Affairs Prahlad Joshi, before replying to a question raised by Manoj Kumar Jha, commented on the behaviour of the Opposition members.
The Chairman urged the Opposition members to return to their seats multiple times, assuring that he would allow them to speak once order was restored. However, the Opposition members paid no heed to his request and kept up their sloganeering.
The Minister’s reply was completely drowned in the ruckus.
Amid the continuing noise, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman responded to a question of Ratanjeet Singh and supplementary questions from other members, but her voice too was drowned out by the slogans.
Visibly displeased, the Chairman once again addressed the Opposition benches, saying, “Why should I call you? All of you are shouting. Firstly, go back to your seats,” and continued with Question Hour.
Later, when Tiruchi Siva of the DMK sought to speak, the Chairman asked him to first inform the Chair about the subject.
He made it clear that if it was the same issue raised in the morning, he would not allow it as it was a state subject and there was no representation of the state government in the House.
Tiruchi Siva replied that the Rajya Sabha is the Council of States and members represent their respective states, including Tamil Nadu. Before he could complete his point, the Chairman adjourned the House till 2 p.m.
The repeated disruptions marked a stormy day in the Upper House, with the Chair struggling to conduct business amid persistent protests from the Opposition.
–IANS
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