Rajya Sabha adjourned for day amid ruckus

The Rajya Sabha was on Wednesday adjourned for the day soon after it met post lunch as Congress members shouted slogans against the government and some of the treasury benches members too shouted counter-slogans.

"Now, honourable members, I am not able to conduct. I am not able to proceed. The opposition side shouting slogans, the government side shouting slogans, the Chair is helpless. I have no other option but to adjourn the House," Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien said as he adjourned the Rajya Sabha for the day.

As soon as the House met at 2 p.m., Congress member Pramod Tiwari raised a Point of Order and objected to the Centre sending paramilitary forces to Bengaluru along with Income Tax officials.

"Without the consent of the state or without the state government demanding it, the Centre cannot send paramilitary troops there. We have a federal structure in this country," Tiwari said.

The Congress MPs trooped to the podium and shouted slogans against the Narendra Modi government saying "loktantra ki hatya band karo" (Stop killing democracy).

Kurien adjourned the House for 15 minutes.

But as soon as the House met again, Congress members started raising slogans. Some of the treasury benches members too came into the aisle and shouted counter slogans. The Chair adjourned the House for 10 minutes.

When the House reconvened, Congress members Pramod Tiwari and Anand Sharma again raised the issue of paramilitary forces accompanying I-T officials as they raided Karnataka Minister D.K. Shivakumar.

"Central forces cannot be sent to a state for any purpose. It is a clear violation of the Constitution. We are a federal country. They sent paramilitary forces without informing the state government. This cannot be accepted," Sharma said.

The government did not deny the opposition's allegations. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas NAqvi said the "fight against corruption will not stop no matter how much they shout".

Amidst the sloganeering from both sides, the Chair adjourned the House for the day. The Rajya Sabha could not transact any listed business on Wednesday.