New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm Tuesday after continuous sloganeering by Opposition members and retaliatory ruckus from treasury benches disrupted Question Hour, marking the second adjournment of the day.
When the House reassembled after the earlier adjournment, Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan firmly rejected attempts by the Leader of Opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge, to raise certain issues.
Addressing Kharge, the Chairman said the Leader of Opposition was repeatedly raising the same subject and that state subjects would not be entertained.
He noted that treasury benches had also sought to raise state-specific matters, including the Jharkhand issue, but those requests had been disallowed.
“I cannot allow you to raise the state subject every day. It is nothing but disrupting the House proceedings,” the Chairman observed.
He added that he was under constant pressure from Kharge and no one else.
Kharge’s response could not be heard clearly amid the rising din in the House.
When G.C. Chandrashekhar of CPI(M) attempted to intervene, the Chairman ruled that nothing would go on record and clarified that only members who stuck to the specific listed questions would be permitted to speak.
The Chairman then called upon members to ask their questions and supplementary questions related to the Department of Renewable Energy.
Question Hour formally commenced, but Opposition members continued raising slogans throughout the proceedings.
After some time, members from the treasury benches also joined in creating disorder.
Despite repeated appeals for order, the disruption showed no signs of abating.
Observing that the House could not function productively in such an atmosphere, Chairman Radhakrishnan adjourned the proceedings till 2 p.m.
The repeated interruptions prevented meaningful discussion during Question Hour and highlighted the ongoing standoff between the Opposition and the Chair over the scope of issues that can be raised in the House.
The Rajya Sabha is scheduled to reconvene in the afternoon for further business.
