New Delhi: Proceedings in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day on Thursday amid persistent protests by the Opposition MPs demanding the withdrawal of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day shortly after reassembling for the post-lunch session.
The Upper House was earlier adjourned till 2 pm, and when it reconvened, the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025 was taken up for discussion. AIADMK MP M Thambidurai, who could not complete his speech on the Bill on Wednesday amid protests, was asked to continue by Chair Bhubaneswar Kalita.
Opposition MPs continued their protest and raised slogans demanding that the SIR exercise be stopped. Several MPs trooped into the Well of the House, while many others were standing.
After Thambidurai, Ayodhya Rami Reddy of the YSRCP started speaking on
the Bill. However, the protests continued and Opposition MPs came close to the member’s seat, raising slogans “SIR wapas lo” (roll back Special Intensive Revision).
As Reddy concluded his speech in the din, BJP MP Laxmikant Bajpayee objected to the slogans being raised by the Opposition MPs.
“The MP is speaking with your permission and they are obstructing him... I urge you to take action against them,” he said.
Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said that Leader of Opposition (LoP) Mallikarjun Kharge should be allowed to speak. “The Leader of the House or Leader of the Opposition should be given priority to speak. The LoP is on his feet but you are not giving him a chance to speak, nor are you giving any assurance... I need a ruling on that,” said Tiwari.
Amid the din, the Chair adjourned the House for the day.
Similarly, the Lok Sabha proceedings were also adjourned for the fourth consecutive day amid protests by the Opposition on the SIR issue.
In the morning too, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had to adjourn proceedings when Opposition members raised slogans, entered the Well of the House and also displayed placards.
When the House met again at 2 pm, Krishna Prasad Tenneti, who was chairing the House, urged members to participate in a bill which seeks to provide seats for Scheduled Tribes in the Goa Legislative Assembly.
Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal questioned the Opposition for not allowing discussion on the Bill, which will benefit the Scheduled Tribe population of the state. As protests continued unabated, the proceedings were adjourned for the day.
Earlier in the day, Speaker Birla asked the protesting members to go back to their seats and assured that as per rules they will be given opportunities to raise issues.
He mentioned the name of senior Congress leader KC Venugopal and said it was not the culture of his party to indulge in sloganeering in the House.
Birla repeatedly mentioned that sloganeering and display of placards is not in accordance with the dignity of the House and wondered what kind of message such actions will send out.
As the din continued, Birla adjourned the proceedings in less than seven minutes.
One question was taken up before the proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm.