LS proceedings adjourned till 12 noon amid noisy protests by opposition

New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI) Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 12 noon on Tuesday amid noisy protests by opposition MPs over the announcement of the US-India trade deal by US President Donald Trump and other issues.

Opposition members also raised the issue of Speaker Om Birla's refusal to allow Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to quote from an unpublished "memoir" of former army chief M M Naravane.

The protests began as soon as the House met for the day. Birla urged the members to remain silent as he was making an obituary reference to the passing away of Surupsing Hirya Naik.

Naik was a member of sixth and 17th Lok Sabha. He was also a member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

After observing a minute's silence, the members trooped into the well and raised slogans such as "Surrender Modi".

Birla said it is unbecoming of the members to disrupt proceedings in a "planned manner".

Only one question could be taken up during Question Hour. Birla adjourned proceedings for nearly one hour and questioned the disruptions, saying the Question Hour helps opposition hold the government accountable on various fronts.

India and the US have agreed to a trade deal under which Washington will bring down the reciprocal tariff on Indian goods to 18 per cent from a total 50 per cent.

Trump made the announcement on Monday after a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A major row erupted on Monday as Gandhi sought to quote in the Lok Sabha from an unpublished "memoir" of former Army chief Naravane on the 2020 India-China conflict to attack the prime minister and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Birla disallowed Gandhi from raising the issue but he did not relent. PTI PK GJS NAB GJS MIN MIN