Rajya Sabha proceedings adjourned for the day amid Opposition protests

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Friday, 8 August, amid vociferous protests by Opposition members on various issues, including the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar and charges of "vote theft" made by the Congress.

Soon after the House met at 12 noon, after a first adjournment, Ghanshyam Tiwari, who was in the Chair, urged the members to allow the Question Hour to function but unrelenting Opposition MPs continued with their protests.

Congress member Pramod Tiwari sought to raise the issue of alleged "vote theft" over discrepancy claims in the electoral rolls in an assembly constituency in Karnataka, but the Chair did not allow him to speak.

Soon Congress members along with Opposition members raised slogans and demanded discussion on the discrepancy in Karnataka voter rolls issue and the SIR issue in Bihar.

Amid the din, the Chair asked the minister of state Ravneet Singh Bittu to answer the question. Bittu, however, attacked the Opposition accusing the Opposition members of indulging in such acts of "theft".

Bittu also raised the charges of "chor machaye shor" against the Opposition.

Rajya Sabha adjourned for day amid demands for discussion on SIR

As Opposition sloganeering and protests continued, the chair adjourned the House for the day.

Earlier, after the laying of papers in the morning, the Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 12 noon as Opposition MPs created a ruckus over various issues, including SIR.

Soon after the House met for the day and after the laying of papers, deputy chairman Harivansh rejected the notices given by members under Rule 267, amid continuing demand by Opposition MPs to discuss the SIR issue in the Upper House.

Harivansh said he has received 20 notices under Rule 267.

"It's interesting to note that members are often giving suspension notices to discuss a wide variety of subjects..." he said.

"Today's notices contain five different issues on which suspension of business has been sought by members... It appears that notices under rule 267 are being used as a tool to create disorder in the House," he said, resulting in an uproar from the Opposition benches.

Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien said from next Monday all notices given by the opposition will be on the SIR issue.

John Brittas of CPI(M) said the Rule 267 should be scrapped, while Congress' Pramod Tiwari said the Opposition wants the House to function, and the discussion on the SIR issue should be taken up.

Tiruchi Siva of DMK said the rules should not just be on paper, but also in practice.

The Chair, however, said 56 hours and 49 minutes of the House's time have so far been lost.

He said so far in the session, they have only taken up 13 starred questions, five Zero Hour submissions, and 17 special mentions. This led to uproar from Opposition benches, and MPs were also raising slogans.

The deputy chairman then adjourned the House till 12 pm.