Rajya Sabha proceedings adjourned for day amid Opposition protest

New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha proceedings on Friday were adjourned for the day as the Opposition parties continued with their protest demanding discussion on the security breach in Parliament.

As soon as the House met at 2 PM after morning adjournments, Opposition members were up in arms again, demanding a discussion on the Wednesday security breach.

Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar adjourned the proceedings for the day as his repeated request for order in the house did not yield result.

The house will now reconvene on December 18.

Earlier in the morning session, soon after the listed papers were laid on the table of the upper house, the Chairman informed the members that he had received 23 notices under Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha procedures for suspension of the scheduled business of the day to discuss the "serious situation arising out of breach of security" in Parliament on December 13.

The Chairman did not approve the notices, and proceeded with the Zero Hour.

At this point, the entire Opposition members erupted in protest.

Aam Aadmi Party member Raghav Chadha tried to raise a point of order by making a hand gesture.

Dhankar objected to the gesture, and said, "Mr Chadha, you don't have to do like this (hand gesture) to raise a point of order...use your tongue...don't do it." "... you were convicted, you were sentenced by this House," the Chairman said to him.

Chadha was suspended from the Upper House on August 11, during the Monsoon session of Parliament. The House ended his suspension on December 4 through a motion.

The AAP member was held guilty by the Privileges Committee of presenting "misleading" facts to the media and was allowed to attend the House proceedings after his suspension was withdrawn.

Earlier, amid the din caused by the Opposition, the Chairman had adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.

Before adjourning the proceedings, Dhankhar asked the Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the House Piyush Goyal, and other floor leaders to meet him in his chamber.

The House had witnessed repeated adjournments also on Thursday.