Rajya Sabha disrupted, witnesses several adjournments

The Rajya Sabha was again disrupted on Friday as the opposition continued to demand the resignations of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and the chief ministers of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

The upper house, where the opposition is in a majority, witnessed heated exchanges between the treasury and opposition benches.

Members from both side created ruckus, marring the business.

The opposition did not even allow private member's business, which is usually spared from protests, to be taken up.

As the house met, Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said a notice had been submitted.

"Who asked for Lalit Modi to be helped? Is the government going to sack Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje or not," Tiwari asked in reference to the controversy over the two BJP leaders' closeness with former Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi.

The Congress members then shouted slogans and demanded the resignations of the BJP leaders, while the ruling party members insisted that a debate be taken up immediately.

Leader of the Opposition, Ghulam Nabi Azad, said the ruling party members were disrupting the house.

In the din, Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien adjourned the house till noon.

When the house met again, the scene remained the same.

Despite several requests from Chairman M. Hamid Ansari to allow question hour to function, the disruptions continued.

The house was then adjourned till 2.30 p.m., and then for the day.