Both Houses adjourned till tomorrow

PTI Updated - March 12, 2018 at 12:54 PM.

Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned till tomorrow after uproar by the Opposition on issues like Telangana issue and price rise.

For the third consecutive day, the Question Hour could not be taken up in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha during the current winter session.

Soon after the Lok Sabha met for the day, Samajwadi Party and RJD members raised slogans against price rise and some of them walked to the well.

BSP members too were agitated over the issue of inflation, while those from the Left parties protested from their seats.

TRS members, Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Ms Vijayashanti, too entered the well and raised their demand for Telangana statehood.

BJD members shouted slogans demanding special status to flood-affected Odisha. They held placards saying “No step-motherly attitude by UPA will be tolerated”, “UPA government down down” and “We demand special category status to Odisha.”

Members of the BJP, whose senior leader Mr L.K. Advani, had given an adjournment notice on black money, were on their feet demanding that the motion be accepted.

As the din continued, the Speaker, Ms Meira Kumar, adjourned the House till 12 noon.

Earlier, when the House met for the day, she welcomed a high-level delegation from Bhutan led by Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Lyonpo Jigme Tshultim.

The House also condoled the death of those killed in Odisha floods after the Speaker expressed concern over the loss of lives and livestock in the state.

In the Rajya Sabha, as soon as the Chairman, Mr Hamid Ansari, took up the first listed question, Mr S.C. Mishra (BSP) rose to say there cannot be a more important question than the issue of unabated price rise and inflation.

He demand suspension of the Question Hour and debate on the issue under section 168, which entails voting. He was joined by members from BJP, JD(U), AIADMK and the Left parties.

Mr Ansari then requested the members to speak one at a time. “What is the point if everybody speaks at the same time,” he asked.

As his pleas went unheeded, the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Harish Rawat, rose to make a statement on behalf of the Government but a determined Opposition did not allow him to speak.

“Please let the Hon’ble Minister speak,” Mr Ansari said. “He is speaking on the same thing. Please listen to him.”

Mr Rawat said increasing prices was a matter of concern for the Government as well but not much can be done if the Opposition is determined not to allow Question Hour.

As the Opposition members refused to relent, Mr Ansari adjourned the House till noon.

Published on November 24, 2011 05:51