Rajya Sabha adjourned for the fourth time over demonetisation

The Rajya Sabha was on Thursday adjourned till 2 p.m. following uproar by the Congress-led opposition over the government's demonetisation move, and the AIADMK members raising the Cauvery waters issue.

The fourth adjournment came at 12.35 p.m. when opposition members from the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) came near the Chairman's podium and started shouting slogans against demonetisation.

At the same time, the AIADMK MPs too came towards the Chairman's podium on the right side of the Chair and started shouting slogans over the Cauvery river water issue.

The chaos began as soon as Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari resumed the proceedings at 12.30 p.m. after the third adjournment.

The Congress-led opposition shouted slogans of "Pradhan Mantri hosh me aao" (Prime Minister come to your senses) and "Modi hosh me aao" over the demonetization issue.

The house had earlier been adjourned thrice, first soon after it met for the day, and subsequently at 11.30 a.m. and 12.00 p.m. amidst the uproar.

The opposition has been demanding the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the upper house since Wednesday.

On November 8, the government announced the spiking of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes to battle black money and corruption. The move has led to countrywide massive queues outside banks and ATMs to deposit or exchange the scrapped currency or withdraw the legal tender.

--IANS

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