Lok Sabha proceedings adjourned till 4 pm

New Delhi: Lok Sabha proceedings on Wednesday were adjourned till 4 pm amid protests by opposition members over various issues, including raids at the premises of the National Herald newspaper in connection with a money laundering probe.

As the House discussed the Central University (Amendment) Bill, 2022, opposition MPs kept shouting slogans against the government.

Trinamool Congress' Sougata Ray raised the issue of a team of West Bengal police allegedly not being allowed to conduct a search operation at a property of a man associated with one of the three Jharkhand MLAs arrested in a cash seizure case despite having a court warrant.

Earlier, Congress members were in the Well of the House raising slogans against the Narendra Modi government when the Lok Sabha reconvened at 12 noon.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury tried to raise the issue of investigation into the National Herald newspaper but was disallowed by the chair.

BJP member Rajendra Agarwal, who was in the chair, allowed the laying of parliamentary papers on the table of the House and the introduction of the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill by Power Minister R K Singh.

As protests by the opposition continued, Agarwal adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.

When the House assembled for the day at 11 am, the opposition members protested over the issue of GST on essential items, inflation and the actions of the Enforcement Directorate.

They expressed their dissatisfaction with the government's response on the issues of GST on essential items and inflation.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi was seen asking party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to speak on certain issues. Congress members and DMK leader T R Baalu also urged Speaker Om Birla to allow Chowdhury to speak but the permission was not granted.

The Congress members also trooped into the Well of the House while some Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) members were seen protesting, standing at their seats.

Three questions and their supplementaries were taken up during the Question Hour. After 15 minutes into the Question Hour, Speaker Om Birla adjourned the proceedings till noon as the din continued.