New Delhi, 04 August (H.S.):

Proceedings in the Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon Session of Parliament were disrupted on Tuesday as persistent protests by Opposition members over the Ram Temple offerings issue prevented the House from functioning normally. After an earlier adjournment, Chairman C. P. Radhakrishnan reconvened the House at noon, but continued sloganeering and protests in the Well of the House forced him to adjourn the proceedings again until 2:00 p.m.

As soon as the House reassembled, Chairman Radhakrishnan appealed to Opposition members to return to their seats and allow the House to function in accordance with parliamentary rules. He then commenced Question Hour by inviting Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) member Manoj Jha to raise his question. Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi tabled the government's response.

Meanwhile, Opposition members entered the Well of the House while raising slogans over the Ram Temple offerings issue. The Chairman repeatedly urged them to return to their seats and refrain from disrupting the proceedings, but the protests continued unabated.

Amid the din, BJP members Kavita Patidar from Madhya Pradesh, Bhim Singh from Bihar, and Ratanjit Pratap Narain Singh (RPN Singh) from Uttar Pradesh, along with other members, raised questions. Their queries were answered sequentially by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

As the disruption persisted, the Chairman informed the protesting members that the Ram Temple offerings issue they wished to discuss falls within the jurisdiction of the state government and not the Union Government. Therefore, under the Rules of Procedure, the matter could not be admitted for discussion in the House. Despite his clarification, Opposition members continued sloganeering and refused to leave the Well. With order proving impossible to restore, the Chairman adjourned the Rajya Sabha till 2:00 p.m.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar