By PTI
NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned again till 2 pm on Monday amid unrelenting opposition protests over the issue of suspension of 12 MPs.
As soon as the House reassembled at 12 noon, Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh began the Question Hour and called out a member to ask supplementary queries.
While the Opposition members were standing and protesting, the Leader of the House Piyush Goyal rose to respond to some of the “allegations and wrong statements” made by Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge.
Goyal said, “They should not think that we have not responded. We constantly tried speaking to the Leader of the Opposition and members but they are making statements that they will not apologise as they have not done anything wrong.”
Holding that the Opposition members have let down the dignity of the Upper House, he said they are not feeling sorry for their conduct displayed in the previous session.
They had insulted the chair, staff, marshals, the House and the entire country, he said.
The opposition continued with this behaviour despite the Chair requesting them to keep the House in order.
“Today the irony is that they (opposition members) are alleging that the Chair was not heeding to their requests,” he said.
As the Opposition protests intensified, the Chair adjourned the House till 2 PM.
Earlier, proceedings of the Rajya Sabha were disrupted till 12 noon as the Opposition insisted that the government should take the initiative to resolve the issue of suspension of 12 members.
The opposition stressed that they were keen on smooth functioning of the House, but alleged the government was adamant.
As many as 12 opposition MPs were suspended from the Rajya Sabha on November 29 for the entire Winter session of Parliament for their “unruly” conduct in the previous session in August, even as the Opposition termed the suspension as “undemocratic and in violation of all the Rules of Procedure” of the Upper House.
Raising the matter during the morning session, Kharge said the opposition was “repeatedly requesting” the government to find a solution.
“The government cannot dictate what should (we) do, what should (we) not do? They are repeatedly refusing to concede our request and they are putting blame on us. So it is not good. Therefore, I can say that government is adamant and…they are provoking us to disrupt the House. So, in protest of that, we will walkout,” Kharge said.
As members started moving out, some opposition MPs continued to argue the matter forcing Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to adjourn the House at around 11.10 AM till 12 noon.
Before adjourning the proceedings, the Chairman remarked that he does not want to run proceedings with members standing.
“Don’t further complicate the matter. You are defending the undefendable…The House is not able to function. So I adjourn the House till 12 PM,” Naidu said.
Earlier, veteran Congress leader Anand Sharma said the Chairman had last week urged the government and opposition to find a constructive solution to the matter which is acceptable to both the sides.
Noting that the Leader of House was present in the House, Sharma said, “We urged the government now to respond”.
DMK’s Tiruchi Siva supported Sharma, and said the opposition was interested in the smooth functioning of the House, but it is the government’s responsibility.
“Since they had moved the resolution (for suspension of the 12 MPs), let them find a way out to end the logjam,” he said.
To this, Chairman Naidu said if both the sides could come together and find a way out, then the House can go on smoothly.
“I hope everybody will understand,” he said.
