Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2pm amid Oppn protest over petrol, diesel, LPG price hikes

With slogan shouting opposition MPs trooping into the well of the House, proceedings were first adjourned till 12 noon and then till post-lunch.

Petrol and diesel prices were on Tuesday hiked by 80 paise a litre each while domestic cooking gas LPG rates were increased by Rs 50 per cylinder as state oil firms ended an over four and half month election-related hiatus in rate revision, fanning inflation fears.

While Congress and TMC MPs carrying placards trooped into the well, other opposition MPs, including from the Left parties, stood in the aisles.

When the House met after the first adjournment, Deputy Chairman Harivansh called for the listed Question Hour to be taken and asked opposition parties to not disrupt the proceedings.

Unrelenting, the opposition members shouted slogans, drowning out Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertiliser Bhagwanth Khuba who was replying to the first listed question.

Harivansh asked TMC leader Derek O’Brien to call his party MPs back to their seats and allow Question Hour to proceed, saying precious national resources have been spent.

With opposition members continuing their vociferous protests, he adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.

Earlier in the morning when the House met for zero hour proceedings, the Upper House was adjourned for a little less than an hour. While TMC members stormed into the well of the House carrying placards, Congress, Left, Samajwadi Party and Shiv Sena MPs were up on their feet, some shouting slogans.

This happened after Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said he has not accepted notices given by Shaktisinh Gohil (Congress), Dola Sen (TMC), V Sivadasan, Elamaram Kareem and John Brittas (CPM) under rule 267, requiring setting aside of the listed agenda to take up a discussion.