On the first day of the Monsoon Session proceedings in the Rajya Sabha were disrupted as the Opposition insisted on discussion on price rise and farmers’ protests. The Upper House adjourned for the day at around 3 pm after repeated adjournments.

Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said there are 17 different issues on which he received notices and not all issues could be discussed on a single day. He said all issues are important and can be discussed in due course.

As the Opposition members continued to protest, Naidu said discussion under rule 267 will be taken up only if there is order in the House and adjourned the House till 2 pm. Later, when House assembled, Deputy Chairman Harivansh allowed a discussion on Marine Aids to Navigation Bill. However, the discussion could not be continued amid ruckus. The House was adjourned till 3 pm and again as there was no consensus, and Harivansh adjourned the House for the day.

Earlier, while introducing the new ministers in Rajya Sabha Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Opposition is irked about the number of women, Dalits and adivasis in the new list of council of ministers.

Leader of Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal condemned the Opposition for interrupting the proceedings even as the Prime Minister introduced the new ministers and said such a behaviour was unseen in the past.

The Congress, however, countered this. Lok Sabha MP and Congress leader Manickam Tagore reminded the BJP that in 2013, the BJP did not allow the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to introduce the council of ministers before Parliament. “The BJP never allowed Singh to introduce new members in his council in 2013,” Tagore said.

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