Lok Sabha adjourned twice

The Lok Sabha was adjourned twice in the pre-lunch session on Friday after opposition members disrupted the proceedings over various issues.

Soon after the house met, Congress members sought permission from the chair to raise some issues but Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said this could be done only after Question Hour.

Trinamool Congress members trooped near the Speaker's podium, shouting slogans against the central government. Displaying placards they denounced the arrest of their MPs Sudip Bandopadhya and Tapas Pal.

Congress members were also near the Speaker shouting slogans.

Mahajan urged the members to allow the house to function smoothly during Question Hour and asked them to raise their issues later. But the MPs kept shouting slogans.

This prompted the Speaker to adjourn the Lok Sabha till noon.

When the house reassembled, Mahajan disallowed the notices of adjournment given by various members including Saugata Roy of Trinamool and J.P. Yadav of Rashtriya Janata Dal.

Despite opposition protests, the Speaker continued with the listed business.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley introduced the Specified Bank Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Bill amid opposition from Trinamool's Saugata Roy.

The Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill was introduced by Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya.

The opposition members again rushed towards Speaker's podium and started shouting slogans. Amid the din, Mahajan adjourned the house till 1 p.m.

Earlier, the Trinamool members staged a protest near Mahatma Gandhi's statue in the Parliament complex against the arrest of Sudip Bandopadhyay.

Bandopadhyay and Paul were arrested by the CBI in connection with the Rose Valley chit fund scam.

The Trinamool, West Bengal's ruling party, has been at loggerheads with the Modi government over various issues including demonetisation.

--IANS

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