NEW DELHI: The proceedings of the Lok Sabha were adjourned today after Opposition parties raised slogans on the plight of farmers and related issues.
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House for the day when opposition members led by the Congress continued with their protest over several issues.
Opposition members from Kerala created a ruckus in the House on farmers' issues and sought to discuss the reports about a BJP leader in Kerala allegedly taking bribes in lieu of promising Medical Council of India recognition for a private college.
Soon after the House met at 12 noon after a washout of the Question Hour, Mahajan rejected all the notices of adjournment by Opposition leaders.
CPM member M B Rajesh demanded permission for an adjournment motion to discuss the issue but the speaker denied this. The opposition protested this and moved to the well of the parliament and started shouting slogans. The situation escalated to a ruckus as the members stood around the speaker and started shouting slogans.
The Congress leaders raised the issue of farmers. They were also seen mentioning some media reports.
While talking to The New Indian Express, K C Venugopal, Congress said that, “We wanted a judicial probe and government should come forward on this…the report clearly said that BJP leaders have taken bribe.”
Venugopal further said that Opposition members have been raising the issue of Farmers’ for last three days. “We need a reply of the Prime Minister or Agricultural minister on this. There were issues of loan waiver of farmers and minimum support price of rice and other crops. Government should respond to the concerns over farmers’ plight and the agrarian crisis. We protested demanding that government should come clear on this,” he added.
Earlier, the House was adjourned twice during Question Hour as the opposition members continued their sloganeering. The House was first briefly adjourned for 20 minutes till 11.30 am and then till 12 noon. Soon after the House met for the second time, the Congress-led Opposition stood up and started shouting slogans.
Some members, who are part of the AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma), trooped into Well Holding placards and demandinga CBI probe into the gutkha (a tobacco product) scam.
While the members were protesting, Parliamentary Affairs minister Ananth Kumar said the Lok Sabha had concluded a discussion on the issue by sitting late last night.