Parl adjourned following uproar over demonetisation, Agusta Westland

Both the Houses of Parliament were on Thursday adjourned till tomorrow following continuous uproar over the demonetisation issue and Agusta Westland case.

As the Lok Sabha met after the first adjournment at noon, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said his party is ready for discussion on demonetisation immediately.

Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandopadhya also urged the chair to start the discussion on demonetisation without delay.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said the opposition is not interested in discussion.

Kumar said the opposition has been stalling the functioning of the House.

He alleged that some Congress leaders are involved in converting black money to white. Kumar said the Parliament should also discuss about the kickbacks in the Agusta Westland deal.

After Kumar spoke, the opposition members trooped into the well of the House and raised slogans against the ruling dispensation.

In the din, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House for the day.

The Rajya Sabha also witnessed stormy scenes with the government and opposition benches locking horns over the demonetisation move.

The Upper House witnessed repeated adjournments before 2 p.m. before being finally adjourned for the day.

When the House met this morning, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad raised the issue of the plight of farmers due to drought and demonetisation.

However, some of the ruling party and TMC members displayed placards which Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien disapproved.

The Congress charged the ruling party with disrupting the proceedings of Parliament.

Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi countered the Congress' allegation that it was the opposition which was holding the House to ransom.

As the din persisted, the House was adjourned till noon.

After the House met at noon, some treasury bench members were on their feet displaying newspaper clippings and opposition members shouting slogans.

This led Chairman Mohammad Hamid Ansari to adjourn the House for half an hour.

The House was adjourned till 2 p.m. before being finally adjourned for the day.