RS adjourned till noon following uproar over Karnataka issue

Rajya Sabha proceedings were Monday adjourned for an hour following uproar in the House by Congress and other opposition parties over issues ranging from crisis in Karnataka to mob lynching.

While Congress members gave notice under Rule 267 seeking setting aside of the business of the day to take up the issue of Constitutional crisis in Karnataka, TMC members sent a similar notice over killings in Sonbhadra district of UP and a similar notice on mob lynching in Bihar by other opposition parties.

As soon as the House mourned the death of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and listed official papers laid on the table of the House, opposition members were up on their feet raising their issues.

Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said the Karnataka issue is pending before the Supreme Court and the House cannot discuss it.

"Please sit down. Please don't take right of members. There are 20 Zero Hour mentions which I have admitted," he said.

"The matter is before the Supreme Court. Both sides are in the court. How can you discuss it in the House?," he said.

As his pleas went unheeded and members started raising slogans, he asked members not to raise slogans.

As his repeated pleas went unheeded, he adjourned the House till 1200 hours.

Earlier the House mourned the death of Dikshit, who died on July 20 at the age of 81 years.

Reading out obituary reference, Naidu said she was the longest serving chief minister of Delhi and did pioneering development work during her 15-year tenure.

"In passing away of Sheila Dikshit, the country has lost a distinguished parliamentarian and an able administrator," he said.

Members stood in silence in their places as a mark of respect to the memory of the departed soul.