Rajya Sabha proceedings adjourned for the day amid protests on various issues
NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Thursday afternoon amid disruptions as the members of the treasury and opposition benches traded charges over a no-trust motion brought against Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and the BJP's allegations of the Congress leadership's "links" with billionaire investor George Soros.
The Upper House has been witnessing a ruckus as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been alleging links between the Congress and Soros, and has also slammed the opposition for moving the motion against Dhankhar.
The first adjournment of the day happened shortly after the House met at 11 am, when it was adjourned till 2 pm, and then for the day.
After the laying of the listed papers and reports during the pre-noon session, the chairman rejected six notices demanding an adjournment of the scheduled business of the day and taking up matters mentioned therein.
Dhankhar said he had given a ruling earlier rejecting five notices and the sixth notice given by Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury regarding alleged derogatory statements made by an Allahabad High Court judge is also rejected.
After all the six notices were rejected, Leader of House J P Nadda rose to speak and strongly condemned Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for criticising the chairman at a press conference outside the House on Wednesday.
Citing a rule, Nadda said questioning or criticising a ruling of the chairman amounts to contempt of both the House and the Chair.
"At a press conference on Wednesday, Khargeji criticised the chairman. This is objectionable and condemnable. It sets a wrong precedent. This needs to be condemned by one and all," Nadda said.
Refuting Kharge's allegation made at the press conference that he was not given an opportunity to speak in the House, he said letters were written by the chairman to the leader of opposition (LoP) time and again, asking him to participate and come to the chairman's chamber.
But Kharge did not go to the chairman's chamber and also did not attend the last meeting of the Business Advisory Committee, he said.
The Congress has even tried to demean the constitutional post by criticising "the Chair as a cheerleader" on its official X handle, Nadda pointed out.
In an apparent reference to Rahul Gandhi, he claimed that a senior Congress leader was seen making a video of the chairman's mimicry in the recent past and said, "The Congress has no interest in democracy and no respect for parliamentary practices."
The press conference was held to divert attention from the main issue, Nadda said, adding, "What is the relationship between George Soros and (Congress leader) Sonia Gandhi? The country wants to know.Soros gives billions of dollars of investment to destablise the country."
This triggered a further uproar in the House. Sonia Gandhi was also in the House.
The chairman gave the floor to Kharge to respond to Nadda's remarks but the Congress leader could not speak much as the members of the treasury benches were on their feet, sloganeering.
"They want to divert attention from the main issue," Kharge said amid intense sloganeering from the treasury benches.
He urged the Chair to bring the House in order, but Dhankhar adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.
As the House reassembled at 2 pm, Trinamool Congress's (TMC) parliamentary party leader Derek O'Brien sought permission to raise a point of order.
Quoting Rule 251, O'Brien said he wants Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come to the House and give a statement on the Bangladesh issue.
Dhankhar, however, said it is not a point of order and did not allow O'Brien to continue.
This prompted the TMC members to raise slogans.
As the sloganeering continued, Dhankhar asked Janata Dal (Secular) MP and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda to speak.
However, his speech was drowned in the din.
"I seriously request, let us allow the House to function...," Deve Gowda said amid uproars in the House.
"The leader of the house has appealed so many times but they are not bothered...We cannot tolerate this type of behaviour... For the first time in the history of the country, a no-confidence motion against the chairman has been brought by these people," the JD(S) leader said.
"This is going to destabilise our democratic system... We cannot allow... They are insulting the prime minister, they have made a mockery, we cannot accept this...," the former prime minister added.
Kharge then tried to raise a point of order.
"The House is not in order. They are making reckless allegations. You are listening and encouraging...," Kharge told the Chair.
"Democracy runs on two wheels -- one is the opposition party, the other is the ruling party -- and you are the umpire. But if you take one-sided decisions. It is a setback for the country and democracy...," Kharge said.
Amid the din, the chairman adjourned the House for the day.