Rajya Sabha adjourned twice as Cong creates uproar over Rafale

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice within minutes during the pre-lunch session today amid protest by Congress members over their demand for a JPC probe into the alleged scam in the Rafale jet deal.

Congress members were up on their feet since the start of the day in the Rajya Sabha creating uproar over the Rafale issue.

Deputy Chairman Harivansh, who chaired his first session today, kept appealing to agitating members to allow the Zero Hour to function where other members were seeking to raise matters of public importance.

Though the Zero Hour continued amid the din, Congress members raised their pitch and some other opposition members entered the well to raise their issues.

The Deputy Chairman then adjourned the House a few minutes before the Zero hour was to end.

When the House met for the Question Hour at noon, Congress members again raised their demand with several of them raising slogans standing in the aisles.

Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu then adjourned the House till noon.

Earlier, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad alleged that the Rafale deal was a "big scam" and there should be a JPC probe into it.

Congress Deputy leader Anand Sharma said whenever such issues have been released earlier during previous Congress rules, a JPC probe was ordered and reiterated his party's demand.

Meanwhile, Derek O'Brien (TMC) raised a point of order saying legislative business should not be taken on a day when private members' bill are listed.

To this, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said it was agreed in the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) that legislative business would be taken up as the House was adjourned as mark of respect to DMK leader late Karunanidhi for a day.

However, Derek and Sharma said there was no such agreement in the BAC meeting.

Goel alleged that the opposition was creating din in the House as they did not want the Triple Talaq Bill to be taken up for passage.

Later, the Chairman said it was suggested during the BAC meeting that bills would be taken up on Friday.