Both Houses of Parliament adjourned amid protests

New Delhi: Yet another day of ruckus forced both Houses of Parliament to adjourn abruptly for the day on Wednesday as Opposition parties carried out sloganeering and protests demanding the revocation of the suspension of the 12 Rajya Sabha MPs and a discussion on the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Wednesday as Opposition members raised slogans and waved placards demanding the sacking of Union minister Ajay Mishra in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, which claimed the lives of eight people, including four farmers.

Opposition members trooped into the Well of the House, waving newspaper reports on the findings of the Special Investigation Team probing the violence and forced adjournment of Lok Sabha proceedings during the Question Hour.

Congress members wanted Speaker Om Birla to admit the notices for Adjournment Motion on the Lakhimpur Kheri killings submitted by party leader Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition members.

Birla continued with the Question Hour amid sloganeering and also urged to allow the smooth functioning of the House proceedings.

"I always give adequate time to members to raise issues. You (protesting members) are disrupting the Question Hour. It is not a good tradition and does not respect the dignity of the House. You don't want to have discussions," Birla said.

Parliamentary Affairs minister Pralhad Joshi urged the Speaker to direct Opposition members to wear masks while protesting in the Well, citing the COVID-19 pandemic and the risk it poses to Parliament officials.

Despite the din, four questions and supplementaries were taken up till 11.30 am before the Speaker adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.

Similar scenes were repeated when the House re-assembled and protests continued despite pleas from BJP member Rajendra Agrawal, who was in the chair.

Agrawal said the Speaker had received some notices for suspension of proceedings, but he disallowed all of them.

"Sit down, there is an important discussion on price rise. It was your demand. Members want to express their opinion on the subject. Please go back to your seats," Agrawal told the Opposition members.

The chair allowed laying of papers on the table of the House and later adjourned the proceedings for the day.

Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till Thursday, following a continued protest by Opposition members over the suspension of 12 MPs.

The Opposition members trooped to the Well of the House and started raising slogans demanding revocation of the suspension of the 12 members when a short-duration discussion was going on in the Upper House on the situation arising out of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the country.

Some members of the ruling BJP participated in the discussion amid the din. BJP's Bhubaneswar Kalita, who was on the chair, requested the agitating members to return to their seats and participate in the debate.

However, as the Opposition members continued with their protest, Kalita adjourned the House till 11 am on Thursday.