NEW DELHI: Continued protests by Congress members forced a washout of Rajya Sabha proceedings for the third week, as the House failed to transact any business due to repeated adjournments even today.
The Rajya Sabha witnessed two adjournments in the pre- lunch session and was finally adjourned for the day a few minutes after 2.30 PM, as Congress members repeatedly stormed the Well protesting the suspension of 25 MPs in Lok Sabha and demanding resignation of Union Minister Sushma Swaraj and two chief ministers over the Lalit Modi controversy and Vyapam scam.
While no business was transacted in the pre-lunch session, only six private member bills could be introduced post lunch, following which sharp exchanges broke out between Opposition and Treasury benches with the former insisting that no business was possible till the government met its demands and the latter opposing it.
When Congress leader Anand Sharma said a consensus could be evolved that till their demands are met by the government, no business will be taken up in the House, the treasury benches strongly objected this saying there could be no such consensus. Deputy Chairman P J Kurien asked the slogan-shouting Congress members why they were disturbing the private members' business.
After six private member bills were introduced, a private motion to bring the Indian Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2014, was taken up, with Kurien seeking names of members who wished to participate in the discussion on it.
Sharma strongly objected to it saying there cannot be any debate till the House was in order.
"The House is in stalemate and government is unrelenting when it came to finding a solution. This is arrogance of the government. We have made it clear that till the issues raised by us are resolved, the logjam will continue," he said.
This led to heated exchanges between both sides, with Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi saying, "in Parliamentary democracy, never has such a thing happened that no business will be taken up in the interest of poor and downtrodden."
This led to noisy scenes and the Chair was forced to adjourn the House for the day till Monday.