INDIA bloc parties stage walkout from Rajya Sabha
Members of Opposition INDIA bloc staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, August 12, amid protests over Home Minister Amit Shah's absence from the House and the alleged Ayodhya Ram Temple donation theft.
When the House reassembled at 2 pm after being adjourned at 11 am, Deputy Chairman Harivansh called members to take up the debate on the National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which was tabled by Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol on behalf of Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah.
The Chair then called BJP MP Ramrao Sakharam Wadkute to speak on the bill, even as Opposition MPs continued to raise slogans.
Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge tried to intervene, but was asked by the Chair to speak only on the bill being taken up.
"The person on whose name this bill is... for some reason they are absent (from House) is fine... but it can't happen every day," Kharge said in an apparent reference to Home Minister Shah.
Leader of the House JP Nadda countered him, accusing the Congress leader of misleading the House.
"He is misleading the House. The Government has said we are ready for every discussion... you should not run away from debate," he said.
The Chair then asked Wadkute to continue his speech following which INDIA bloc MPs staged a walkout as the debate continued.
Earlier, the House was adjourned without transacting any business following an uproar over BJP MP Sushmita Dev's alleged derogatory remarks against CPM's John Brittas.
Soon after listed papers were laid on the table at the start of the day, Brittas raised the issue of him being targetted with the "lungiwala" slur by Dev.
While Brittas found support in Opposition ranks, Treasury benches demanded that Dev be heard before passing any order.
Amid a ruckus, Chairman C P Radhakrishnan, who ruled that he would call the MPs concerned to his chamber to discuss the issue, adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.
