NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Friday amid protests by opposition and BJP members over Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's remark on President Droupadi Murmu.
The House proceedings were first adjourned till 12 noon soon after the House had assembled for the day.
Similar scenes were witnessed when the House was re-assembled at 12 noon.
Congress members were in the Well of the House raising slogans against the government, while BJP members and union ministers, including Sarbananda Sonowal were on their feet demanding an apology from Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
A major political row broke out on Thursday over Chowdhury's 'rashtrapatni' remark with the BJP launching an all-out offensive against the opposition party, accusing Chowdhury of hurling a "deliberate sexist insult" at President Droupadi Murmu and demanding an apology from the Congress chief.
Chowdhury, who is the leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, said he never intended to disrespect the President and his 'rashtrapatni' remark was a "slip of the tongue".
As the uproar continued, BJP member Rajendra Agarwal, who was in the chair, allowed laying of Parliamentary papers and adjourned the proceedings till Monday.
An hour before that, opposition members, mostly Congress MPs, came to well-shouting slogans against the government.
BJP women members, who were standing in the second row of the Treasury benches, too stood up and shouted counter slogans.
Kirit Solanki, who was in the chair then, first requested the members to sit down in their respective seats.
Solanki repeated his request but the members ignored his pleas following which he adjourned the House till 12 noon within a minute of assembling.
READ HERE | 'Rashtrapatni' row: Smriti Irani calls on President Murmu as Congress raises heat against the Union Minister
The House had seen noisy scenes on Thursday when Union Minister Smriti Irani led the charge against Congress for its Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's comment on President Droupadi Murmu, terming her as 'Rashtrapatni'.
Irani had also demanded an apology from Congress president Sonia Gandhi for Chowdhury's remark, leading to vociferous protests from opposition members and counter-protests from treasury benches.
The House could not function properly due to the pandemonium and was adjourned for the day after witnessing repeated brief adjournments.
There was also a face-off between Gandhi and Irani during an interval, inviting allegations and counter-allegations from both sides.
Gandhi and Chowdhury attended the House on Friday.
However, the front row of the Treasury benches was not occupied when the House met in the morning.
Lok Sabha proceedings have been disrupted mostly due to the opposition protests, seeking a discussion on price rise and GST rate hike on some food items, even since the Monsoon Session began on July 18.
Four Congress MPs - Manickam Tagore, Ramya Haridas, TN Prathapan and S Jothimani - were also suspended last Monday for the rest of the session for protests and carrying placards inside the House.
Congress MPs staged a protest in front of the Gandhi statue in Parliament on Friday to demand an apology from the government following the face-off between Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Union minister Smriti Irani.
On Thursday, the raging row over Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury calling President Droupadi Murmu "rashtrapatni" escalated with the opposition party accusing BJP MPs of subjecting its president to "brutal heckling, verbal assault and physical intimidation" in the Lok Sabha.
Congress MPs, protesting against the alleged misbehaviour with Gandhi, were joined by their colleagues from the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
Chowdhury's remark on India's first tribal president has drawn a fresh battleline between the Congress and the BJP, which has demanded an apology from Sonia Gandhi.
As the Lok Sabha adjourned soon after 12 noon on Thursday, Gandhi walked across to the treasury benches and sought to know from BJP member Rama Devi why she was dragged into the issue.
Irani intervened and was seen gesturing towards Gandhi and apparently protesting Chowdhury's remark.
Gandhi tried to ignore Irani's protestations, but was soon seen gesturing towards the minister and speaking angrily.
Suspended Rajya Sabha members TMC's Derek O'Brien and AAP's Sanjay Singh spent the night at the protest site near the entrance of Parliament.
TMC's Dola Sen and Mausam Noor were there at the site till midnight.
The opposition parties sat on a relay protest in Parliament premises protesting against the suspension of 24 MPs in both Houses of Parliament.
On Thursday, three more MPs were suspended.
The opposition parties have demanded a discussion on price rise in Parliament.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Friday said the Lok Sabha will only function after Sonia Gandhi apologises for party MP Adhir's remark against the President.
A major political row broke out on Thursday over Chowdhury's 'rashtrapatni' remark with the BJP launching an all-out offensive against the opposition party, accusing Chowdhury of hurling a "deliberate sexist insult" at President Droupadi Murmu and demanding an apology from the Congress chief.
Chowdhury, who is the leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, said he never intended to disrespect the President and his 'rashtrapatni' remark was a "slip of the tongue".
In a series of tweets, Dubey said, "The BJP wouldn't tolerate the insult of the tribal community. Lok Sabha will only function after the apology of Mrs Gandhi".
Dubey also charged that Congress has a history of misusing democracy and Parliament.
In 2012, Congress had given 10 notices against then BJP president Rajnath Singh for just speaking about the family's (Gandhi family) trust, he added.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned too for the day on Friday after the opposition created an uproar over various issues.
This is the second week in a row when the upper house failed to transact any significant business due to disruptions caused by opposition members.
So far 23 Rajya Sabha MPs have been suspended for the remainder of the week for creating disruptions in the house.
Soon after the house met at 12 noon after the first adjournment, Congress members stormed the well and raised slogans against the government.
They also raised the issue of deaths in Gujarat due to illicit liquor and protested against Union minister Smriti Irani for allegedly heckling Congress president Sonia Gandhi and raised slogans against her and demanded her sacking.
Members of the treasury benches were also on their standing in protest against Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's "rashtrapatni" remark while referring to President Droupadi Murmu.
Soon after the house met for the day, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for close to an hour after uproarious scenes by both opposition and treasury benches over different issues.
While the opposition parties pressed for a discussion on the hooch tragedy in Gujarat as well as the record rise in prices of essential commodities, BJP MPs were up on their feet shouting slogans seeking Congress president Gandhi's apology over her party leader's remarks on the President.
Amid slogan shouting, Deputy Chairman Harivansh adjourned the proceedings till 12 noon.
The upper house has failed to transact any significant business since the start of the Monsoon session on July 18.