Rajya Sabha adjourns till noon following noisy Congress protest

Rajya Sabha proceedings were disrupted again today as protesting Congress members trooped into the Well raising slogans against 'dictatorial' attitude of the government in suspending 25 of their Lok Sabha MPs.

Soon after the House mourned the death of former member Jagannath Singh, paid homage to freedom fighters and the listed papers were laid, Naresh Agarwal (SP) said he had given a notice under rule 267 seeking suspension of business to raise the issue of three BJP MPs writing to Chairman seeking action against Congress members protesting against Lalitgate and Vyapam scam.

The SP member alleged that the BJP MPs, who Agarwal did not name, had tried to "pressurise" the Chairman by writing to him seeking action against the Congress members for entering the Well of the House under rule 255 and 256.

Rule 255 relates to Chairman asking any member whose conduct is in his opinion grossly disorderly to withdraw immediately from the Council, while Rule 256 relates to the Chairman suspending a member who disregards the authority of the Chair or abuses rules of the Council by persistently and willfully obstructing the business.

As Deputy Chairman P J Kurien asked Agarwal how he got a copy of the letter written by BJP MPs, slogan-shouting Congress members trooped into the Well of the House.

They shouted "Tanashahi nahi chalegi (dictatorial attitude will not be tolerated)" and "Modishahi Nahi chalegi."

Kurien said he had given the floor to Agarwal and asked Congress members if they did not want to hear him, but the members continued their noisy protest from the Well.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi charged the Congress with not wanting to participate in a discussion on the issues it was raising.

As unrelenting Congress members continued to raise slogans, Kurien adjourned the House till 1200 hours.

Rajya Sabha has failed to transact any business ever since it met for the Monsoon session from July 21. The Congress has upped its protests by boycotting the Lower House and staging a dharna inside the Parliament complex since 25 of its Lok Sabha MPs were suspended by the Speaker on Monday.