New Delhi, Jul 31: The Rajya Sabha on Thursday adjourned until 4:30 pm amid uproar by Opposition parties, who protested against Prime Minister Narendra Modi not responding to a debate on Operation Sindoor in the House and also raised the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) issue.
The Upper House earlier witnessed two adjournments – first soon after meeting at 11 am, when it was adjourned till 12 noon, and then till 2 pm hrs amid protests by Opposition MPs.
As soon as the House met at 2 pm, Opposition members were on their feet, raising slogans against the SIR and demanding that the Prime Minister come to the House.
Sambit Patra, who was in the Chair, allowed Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to speak.
Kharge quoted Leader of the House JP Nadda’s statement in the House in the morning session, where he said in 2008, after the Mumbai terror attack, then prime minister Manmohan Singh had not replied to the debate in the Rajya Sabha and the reply was made by the then home minister in the Upper House.
He said the objection, however, was to a remark made by the Home Minister.
The Leader of Opposition said that ‘main akela hi apko nipat lunga’ (I can handle you myself)… He insulted all of us, and we protested against that”.
“We said Prime Minister is here, please call him to the House…,” he noted.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said Opposition MPs had raised slogans demanding the Prime Minister come to the House, triggering uproar from TMC MPs.
“The behaviour of TMC MPs is not right… The way Derek O’Brien is behaving is not right…,” Rijiju said.
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister also said that Prime Minister Modi replied to the debate in the Lok Sabha for one hour and 42 minutes on Tuesday.
“They are saying the Prime Minister should reply. He spoke for one hour and 42 minutes in the Lok Sabha just a day before… He presented all the facts to the nation through the House. Home Minister is capable of replying to the debate…,” Rijiju said.
He said the government has a collective responsibility, and the Opposition does not get to decide who will speak.
Meanwhile, Opposition MPs were raising slogans against SIR. As soon as Rijiju finished his statement, the Chair adjourned the House till 4.30 pm. PTI
