NEW DELI: Rajya Sabaha proceedings were adjourned till 12 noon on Tuesday as opposition parties raised slogans and insisted on a debate on the Pegasus spyware allegedly being used to snoop on opposition leaders, government critics and journalists.
Soon after the listed papers and reports were laid on the table of the House, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said he had received notices (under Rule 267) from Sukhendu Sekhar Ray (TMC), Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress), Elamaram Kareem (CPM) and Binoy Viswam (CPI) for the suspension of the business to discuss the Pegasus spyware issue.
"As the matter has already been taken up and members were called to ask for supplementaries, clarification, it did not happen. So, I did not allow it," Naidu said, leading to a protest by some opposition members.
The chairman pointed out that Tuesday was the 16th sitting of the House during the monsoon session, but it has functioned at the rate of only one hour per day.
He said a discussion on the farmers' issues is scheduled even as several opposition members entered the Well of the House and raised slogans demanding the taking up of the Pegasus matter.
Some of them were also carrying placards.
"You are preventing discussion on the farmers' issue which is a larger issue and is scheduled for discussion today in the House," Naidu said, adding if the Rajya Sabha is not allowed to function, a message will go out that the House was not concerned about the plight of the farmers.
"So the House must be allowed to function," he said.
However, opposition members did not yield.
At this point, the chairman adjourned the proceedings till 12 noon.
A short duration discussion on the agricultural problems and solutions is listed in the business schedule for Tuesday.
Earlier, when the chairman called Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur to make a statement, some opposition members were heard shouting 'goli maro' (shoot), an apparent reference to the BJP leader's comment during an election rally.
To this, Naidu said raising slogans was not allowed in the House.