While the Lok Sabha on Thursday transacted some business, the Rajya Sabha continued with a washout once again due to deadlock over demonetisation.
The Upper House was adjourned twice during the pre-lunch session and was ultimately adjourned for the day a few minutes after it reassembled at 2 PM amid the continuing ruckus over demonetisation and the Opposition demand seeking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s presence in the House.
Soon after the listed papers were tabled,Sukhendu Sekhar Roy of Trinamool Congress said 115 persons have lost their lives in 30 days since Modi announced scrapping of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes. Their death should be mourned in the House, Roy asserted.
While Roy was still speaking, Information and Broadcasting
Minister M Venkaiah Naidu intervened stating, "This is politics. Let there be a discussion (on the issue)... November 8 (when the demonetisation was announced) is a historic day."
Naidu also protested when Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad was asked by the Chair to speak as requested by him. Naidu said the Opposition had been using the tactic of slamming the government and then creating ruckus when someone from the government spoke to ensure that its views are not heard.
The leader of Opposition said more than 100 farmers, women, youth and elderly persons have lost their lives in last one month due to hardships faced as a result of demonetisation and insisted on an obituary reference to such loss of lives.
"We wanted this House to mourn their death but the government has refused an obituary reference," Azad said.
The treasury benches then shouted slogans demanding resumption of debate on demonetisation which was initiated on the first day of the ongoing Winter session on November 16.
Both the treasury and the Opposition members shouted slogans at each other.
Chiarman Hamid Ansari adjourned the House after it reassembled at noon following which the House was adjourned till 2PM.
When the House met at 2PM, the Opposition members were still not willing to participate in the demonetisation debate following which Ansari adjourned the House for the day.