Rajya Sabha disrupted, adjourned for day as Congress keeps up protest

The Rajya Sabha could not transact any business on Wednesday, the third day out of four this session, and was adjourned for the day after repeated adjournments as Congress members sought a discussion on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh.

The Congress kept up its protests even after Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu said that "nobody is going to apologize here" and rejected Congress members' notice for a discussion.

As the House met for the day, Congress members were on their feet. Many had given notice under Rule 267 to suspend all listed business and discuss the issue.

However, Naidu rejected all the notices and asked the members to continue with Zero Hour submissions. The Congress members then trooped near the Chair's podium, shouting slogans.

The Chairman then adjourned the House till noon after his repeated requests to maintain order went unheeded.

As soon as the House met again for Question Hour, the Congress members again shouted slogans. The Chair then adjourned the House till 2 p.m.

Soon after the House resumed at 2 p.m., Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad raised the issue of Modi's "objectionable remarks".

"There is no question of even our smallest worker conspiring with Pakistan. Here, allegations are being made against a former Prime Minister.

"We are not demanding an apology. But the Prime Minister must clarify that these remarks were an election stunt and now the elections are over, he is taking them back," he added.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said that nowhere did Modi use the word conspiracy.

However, the Congress members came near the podium and started shouting slogans, leading to the chair adjourning the House for the day.

In an election rally in Gujarat, Modi said that Manmohan Singh and others at a dinner meeting discussed the Gujarat Assembly election with Pakistani diplomats.

The government on Tuesday tried to make peace with Congress with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley meeting Congress leaders, but the move failed to break the ice as the Congress stuck to its demand for an apology by the Prime Minister.

--IANS

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