Demonetisation issue continues to disrupt Lok Sabha for 16th consecutive day, Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2pm

Proceedings in the Lok Sabha were disrupted for the 16th consecutive day today as Opposition continued to engage in sloganeering demanding a debate on demonetisation under a rule that entails voting.

As soon as the House assembled, leader of Congress in the House Mallikarjun Kharge wanted to raise some issue but Speaker Sumitra Mahajan did not allow him and started the Question Hour.

This prompted members belonging to the Congress, Trinamool Congress and Left parties to rush into the Well demanding discussion on demonetisation of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes under Rule 184 which entails division.

As Mahajan refused to concede to the demand, the Opposition members raised slogans to press for it.

Apart from usual English and Hindi slogans, the members also raised slogans in regional languages like Malayalam and Bengali.

As the din continued, an upset Speaker warned the protesting MPs not to disturb the entire House through their protests.

"What is this? I am warning you. Please, please, I am repeatedly telling you if you want to debate, debate. But don't disturb the whole House," she said.

Members belonging to Samajwadi Party and NCP extended their support to their opposition counterparts by standing in the aisles along their seats.

Amidst continued din, the Speaker took up five questions before adjourning the House for nearly 20 minutes till noon.

The Congress and Left members were seen wearing black bands on their right arm as a mark of protest against demonetisation, which was announced exactly a month ago.

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, who was recently hospitalised, was present in the House. She was seen engaged in intimate discussions with her son and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and party leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Jyotirditya Scindia and Deepender Singh Hooda.

Meanwhile the Rajya Sabha was also adjourned for a second time on Thursday over the issue of demonetisation -- till 2 p.m.

Soon after the house assembled at 12, opposition members began raising slogans against the demonetisation of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes that has triggered a nationwide cash crunch.

Chairman Hamid Ansari then adjourned the house till 2 p.m.

Earlier, the upper house was adjourned after it assembled in the morning.

MPs from the treasury benches taunted Opposition leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, saying the opposition levels allegations against the government but does not listen when the government tries to respond.

Ansari told them that it was an established practice that either the Leader of House or the Leader of Opposition was allowed to speak when they wanted.

The house was adjourned till noon after Ansari's plea went unheeded.