Congress MPs disrupt Rajya Sabha proceedings, force adjournment till 12 PM
NEW DELHI: Congress members disrupted proceedings in the Rajya Sabha for the second day today over the insinuations made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi against his predecessor Manmohan Singh.
Soon after the House assembled for the day, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien adjourned the proceedings till noon after Congress members stormed the Well demanding an explanation from Modi for his remarks made in an election rally that Singh had colluded with Pakistan against the BJP in Gujarat.
Anand Sharma (Cong) and others gave notice under rule 267 seeking setting aside of the business of the day to take up the issue, but the Chair disallowed all the notices.
Leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said it was not acceptable that every notice was being rejected.
Charges have been levelled against the former prime minister who is a member of Rajya Sabha, he said angrily and demanded that a motion be allowed to moved to get a sense of the House on the issue.
"Let charges be proved," he said. "the voice of the opposition cannot be muzzled. The House has to function according to conventions." Azad demanded that Prime Minister should come to the House and explain his remarks.
Kurien said no motion can be allowed and if the opposition were to resort to disruptions, he would be left with no option but to adjourn the proceedings.
Anand Sharma (Cong) said neither the Prime Minister, nor any minister was beyond questioning.
It is unacceptable that the Prime Minister makes insulations against the former prime minister, former vice president and former Indian High Commissioner. "Prime Minister has to clarify," he said, adding that the issue at hand was about respecting the institutions and privileges.
With Kurien disallowing the notices, Congress members trooped into the Well of the House, raising slogans against the Prime Minister.
Kurien said the Congress members could convert their 267 notice into Zero Hour notices and they can be allowed to speak for 3 minutes upon acceptance of such notice.
He went on to call the listed Zero Hour submissions to be made but Congress members were unrelenting, forcing Kurien to adjourn the proceedings till 1200 hours.