Suspension of Rajya Sabha MPs: Naidu calls for consensus between government, Opposition

NEW DELHI: The proceedings of Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day soon after the laying of papers on Friday, with Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu urging the government and opposition to arrive at a consensus over the issue of suspension of MPs.

Soon after the tabling of listed papers, the chairman said he has met the leader of the house Piyush Goyal and some senior members of the opposition and asked them to hold discussions.

"Today, I had a talk with the Leader of the House and also some senior members of the opposition. I would like to appeal to each one of you to please arrive at some sort of consensus to see that the house functions normally," he told the members.

"In order to facilitate discussion among yourselves, I am adjourning the house to meet on Monday," the chairman announced within minutes after it met for the day.

The opposition has been disrupting the proceedings of the house for the last many days.

There has been a stalemate in the upper house over the issue of suspension of 12 MPs and the functioning of the house has been affected due to the protests by the opposition members seeking revocation of their suspension.

The opposition is demanding that the suspension of MPs be revoked as the action is undemocratic and against the rules while the government wants them to apologise for their behaviour first, saying they were open to revoking their suspensions.

Twelve MPs of various opposition parties in Rajya Sabha were suspended on the first day of the winter session over their unruly behaviour on the last day of the Monsoon session on August 11.

Meanwhile, Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned on Friday till 2 pm amid vociferous protests by Opposition members demanding the removal of Union minister Ajay Mishra in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence in Uttar Pradesh.

The Question Hour in the Lower House was disrupted for the third straight day as Opposition members demanded the removal of the minister whose son Ashish Mishra is among the accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.

Eight people, including four farmers, were killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence in Uttar Pradesh in October.

Soon after the House met for the day, Opposition members started shouting slogans and displaying placards, demanding the sacking of the minister.

Many members also trooped into the Well of the House.

Amid the din, Speaker Om Birla told the protesting members that the Question Hour was important and it was not a good practice to indulge in sloganeering.

"You don't want to run the House, you don't want discussions," a peeved Birla asked the protesting members.

The Speaker also warned the members protesting in the Well against damaging any properties of the House.

"If any property of the Lok Sabha is damaged, then it will be your responsibility," he told the members.

Four questions and their supplementaries were taken up during the Question Hour.

As the ruckus continued, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.