Lok Sabha adjourned amid protests by TRS members over farmer issues

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till noon on Wednesday amid continuous protests by members of the TRS over farmer issues.

This is the third consecutive day that the Question Hour was disrupted since the winter session of parliament commenced on Monday.

Members of the TRS shouted slogans and displayed placards over farmer issues in the Well of the House during the Question Hour.

Speaker Om Birla told the protesting members it was not the right thing to do and emphasised that the Question Hour was important.

"When a senior member is speaking, you (people) are protesting... what kind of practice are you trying to bring into the House," a peeved Birla told the protesting members.

The speaker also urged the members to make efforts to ensure that such wrong behaviour and practices are stopped in the House.

"Your behaviour in the House is not right, it is wrong and the House cannot run like this... I had given you time to raise the issue," Birla said.

Four questions and their supplementaries were taken up during the Question Hour which went on for nearly half-an-hour.

As the protests by the members of TRS continued, Birla adjourned the proceedings till noon.

To a supplementary question asked by DMK member T Sumathy alias Thamizhachi Thangapandian in English, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw replied in English and Hindi.

Some opposition members, including TMC's Saugata Roy, wondered why the minister replied in Hindi when the question was asked in English.

The speaker said the House has facilities for translation of languages.

Later, while replying to another supplementary question by DMK leader T R Baalu, Vaishnaw greeted him in Tamil before answering the query.

"I would like to say 'vanakkam' (greetings) to the honourable member and 'eppadi erukuringa' (how are you?) to you, sir so that my friends who were reacting earlier at least...," the minister said.

Earlier, Birla welcomed representatives from Mongolian Parliament who were present in the visitors' gallery to watch the House proceedings.