Rajya Sabha disrupted, adjourned for the day

New Delhi, Aug 12

The Rajya Sabha again faced disruptions on Wednesday, with the logjam over the Lalit Modi and Vyapam issues continuing on the penultimate day of the monsoon session.

The house faced several adjournments before the chair called it a day.

A section of the opposition asked the government to begin a debate followed by voting over the contentious issues, but no breakthrough could be reached.

As the house met, Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien said he had disallowed a notice as despite allowing it on several previous occasions, a debate was never taken up.

Congress leader Anand Sharma said: “Unless the prime minister replies, each notice should be treated as a fresh one.”

Kurien responded: “I am ready to allow a discussion, (but) are you ready to move the motion?”

Congress leaders then said they would not begin the debate unless Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the house.

Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav said that after 68 years of Independence “capitalists” were asking for the parliament to run.

“They must know that 125 crore Indians have chosen parliament…. They want to run the parliament,” he said.

Leader of House Arun Jaitley questioned if the common man wanted parliament not to function.

As the Congress members created a ruckus, the house was adjourned till noon. But the situation remained the same when the house met again.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad supported Yadav and said: “We discuss everyday the comments being made about MPs. Now the industrialists are saying that the house should function…. The government is using media and businessmen against the opposition,” said Azad.

Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury said the Lok Sabha had decided to debate the issues followed by voting, and asked the government to do the same in the upper house.

“It is good if businessmen want the house to function, but they must not interfere. (The) other house is having a debate with voting, lets do the same here; have a debate followed by voting,” he said.

As Congress members created an uproar, Chairman M. Hamid Ansari adjourned the house till 2 p.m.

Post lunch, Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien tried to take up the Goods and Services Tax bill.

However, as ruckus continued, the house was adjourned for the day. (IANS)