New Delhi, 06 August (H.S.): The Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned until 2:15 PM on Thursday, the 14th day of Parliament's Monsoon Session, following repeated disruptions caused by Opposition protests and sloganeering.

Soon after the House assembled and the scheduled papers were laid on the table, Opposition members began protesting over the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Temple and other issues. Amid the uproar, some MPs, including K. Laxman and Raghav Chadha, raised matters of public interest.

During the disruptions, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the Opposition, particularly Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, of violating parliamentary rules. He said that the rules of the Rajya Sabha clearly state that a member speaking in the House should not be interrupted.

Rijiju said creating noise, repeatedly interrupting a speaker, or disrupting proceedings while a member is addressing the House goes against parliamentary norms. He stressed that the proceedings of the House must be conducted according to established rules and that repeatedly raising the same issue does not align with parliamentary traditions.

The Parliamentary Affairs Minister said that under the rules, if a member continues to make irrelevant or repetitive remarks, the Chair can first caution the member and, if necessary, direct that the speech be stopped.

Rijiju alleged that Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge repeatedly raises the same issue every day, which he said is not in accordance with parliamentary procedures. Referring to Congress leader Pawan Khera, Rijiju said members should first study parliamentary rules and follow the code of conduct while participating in House proceedings.

Opposition members continued raising slogans during Rijiju's remarks. As soon as Kharge stood up to respond to the Minister's statement, members from both the treasury and Opposition benches began speaking simultaneously, leading to further chaos in the House.

With the situation escalating, Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan adjourned the proceedings until 12 noon.

When the House reconvened, Kharge questioned Rijiju's remarks regarding Pawan Khera. In response, Rijiju said he had cited two parliamentary rules, while the Opposition had not mentioned even a single rule under which they were seeking a discussion.

Amid the continued exchange, the Chair asked Rijiju to inform the Home Minister about the Opposition's demand. However, disruptions continued, forcing the Rajya Sabha to be adjourned again until 2:15 PM.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar