Rajya Sabha adjourned for entire week amid unabated protests by opposition

The proceedings in the Rajya Sabha were washed out for the entire week as opposition parties and some ruling NDA allies continued their unrelenting protests over various issues including the banking scam, a special package to Andhra Pradesh and the Cauvery water dispute.

The upper house was adjourned for the fifth straight day as members of the Congress, TDP and AIADMK stormed the Well, carrying placards and raising slogans to press their demands.

The House was first adjourned within about 15 minutes after it had assembled in the morning till 2.30 PM, and then adjourned for the day due to the continued protests.

While Congress members led the charge against the Rs 127 billion fraud at Punjab National Bank, members of Tamil Nadu parties - AIADMK and DMK - were demanding constitution of the Cauvery Water Management Board for distribution of Cauvery river water between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

TDP MPs and Congress member KVP Ramachandra Rao held posters demanding special status to Andhra Pradesh to make up for the deficit arising from carving out of Telengana.

When the House reassembled at 1430 hours after the first adjournment, the agitating members could not be pacified even after repeated appeals by Deputy Chairman P J Kurien.

"This is private members' business and not government business," said Kurien.

Congress MP Pramod Tewari tried to raise point of order under rule 167 over the issue of PNB bank scam.

But Kurien told him "You first ask your party members to go to their seats. I would allow you to do it."

However, as the members of Congress, TDP and AIADMK continued to raise slogans in the Well, Kurien adjourned the House for the day till Monday.

In the morning after the listed papers were laid on the table of the House, the opposition members and those belonging to NDA ally TDP and AIADMK trooped into the Well shouting slogans, which led Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to adjourn the proceedings till 1430 hours.

"One week has gone waste. This is no good. This is sad," he said before adjourning the proceedings till the afternoon.