Oppn protests rock RS, Mayawati resigns

The proceedings in the Rajya Sabha were disrupted on Tuesday by an angry opposition which sought to raise several issues like the violence against Dalits and minorities, to attack the government, as an angry BSP chief Mayawati resigned as a member of the Upper House.

The noisy protests by the opposition members, many of whom trooped into the Well raising slogans, forced adjournment of the proceedings, once till noon, then till 2 PM and again till 3 PM.

Soon after the House assembled for the day, a visibly angry Mayawati, who was speaking on the recent anti-Dalit violence in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, threatened to resign from the House after the Chair asked her to restrict her impromptu speech.

"I will resign from Rajya Sabha today," Mayawati shot back when Deputy Chairman P J Kurien asked her to wrap up her speech as she had exceeded the three minutes given to her to make her submission.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Mayawati was challenging the Chair. "She should apologise. She has threatened the Chair," he said.

The leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad briefly prevailed over them to allow him to make his submission.

Azad said the government at an all-party meeting before the start of the Monsoon Session had agreed to discuss any issue that the opposition wants to raise in the house.

"Promise was made to us in the presence of the Prime Minister. You are going against that," he said.

No sooner than the House reassembled at noon, slogan shouting Congress members trooped into the Well. They were followed by the members of Trinamool Congress and others.

Amid slogan shouting by members of Congress and other parties, Chairman Hamid Ansari called for taking up the Question Hour.

TMC member Derek O'Brien tried to speak but could not be heard amidst the noisy scenes.

Some members of the AIADMK too rushed into the Well as other opposition party members were on their feet.

The continued sloganeering forced the Chairman to adjourn the House till 1400 hrs.

When the House reassembled at 1400 hrs, TMC member Derek O'Brien said that several opposition members had given notices on issues related to farmers and the lynchings that have taken place across the country.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government was ready for a discussion.