Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 PM on Opposition protests over SIR issue

New Delhi, Aug 19 (PTI) Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the second time on Tuesday till 2 PM amid unrelenting protests by opposition parties demanding a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision exercise in Bihar and other issues.

When the House reassembled at 12 noon after an adjournment, treasury bench members laid officials papers on the table of the House.

Krishna Prasad Tenneti, who was chairing the Lok Sabha proceedings, asked protesting members to go back to their seats and cooperate in running the House.

As opposition members were in the Well sloganeering against SIR, Tenneti adjourned the House till 2 PM.

Earlier when the House met at 11 am, Speaker Om Birla announced that it was a matter of happiness that now onwards the translation of the proceedings of the House will be available for members in all 22 languages under the 8th Schedule of the Constitution. He said so far proceedings were available in 19 languages and now onwards three more languages were included in the list. The three languages are Kashmiri, Konkani and Santhali.

"We should be proud of our Parliament, we should be proud of Indian democracy. On this happy occasion, I hope that members will cooperate to run the House smoothly," he said.

As soon as Birla ended the announcement, opposition MPs, including those from the Congress, were on their feet, raising slogans and showing placards with their demand for discussion on SIR.

The Speaker tried to continue the business of the House -- Question Hour -- by allowing members to ask three questions related to different union ministries and departments amidst din.

However, the vocal protests of the opposition continued.

After about 20 minutes of the proceedings, Birla adjourned the House till 12 noon. The opposition has been demanding a discussion on the SIR exercise initiated by the Election Commission in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections there.

Barring discussions on Operation Sindoor in both House, Parliament has seen little business ever since the Monsoon session began on July 21 due to repeated adjournments initially due to opposition demand for discussion on Operation Sindoor and then demanding a discussion on SIR in Bihar. PTI JD DV DV