Rajya Sabha adjourned for day on Assam NRC

Opposition protested against Amit Shah's statement on Bangladesh migration

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 11 am Wednesday following an uproar by the Opposition parties, who objected to BJP member Amit Shah's speech over publication of Assam's National Register of Citizens.

While speaking at Upper House Amit Shah, who is also BJP national president, said the NRC was a result of Assam Accord signed by former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi in 1985. "He (Rajiv Gandhi) declared this in his Independence Day speech also. The core of the accord was to NRC. You ( Congress) have no courage to implement it but we did it as we have courage," he said.

How can we allow a large number of illegal immigrants from Bangaldesh come and settle here, Shah questioned.

This statement triggered for uproar with Opposition members including Congress, Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party rushed to the well and shouted slogans against the NDA government. Though Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu pleaded the protesting members to go back to their seat and Home Minister Rajnath Singh will reply, protesters refused to relent.

The Chair adjourned house for 15 minutes till 1.10 pm. When protests continued even after it assembled again, the Chairman adjourned it till 11 am Wednesday.

Earlier, when the House met at 11 am, Oposition members wanted the issue to be taken up immediately by suspending all the business of the House.

Assuring to allow the members to raise the issue, Naidu said he will allow zero hour first and allow to raise the NRC issue once Home Minister Rajnath Singh come to Upper House. Naidu said the Home Minister was busy in Lok Sabha. However when TMC members protested, the House was adjourned till 12 noon.

When the House was reconvened, the Chair allowed the members to speak on the issue. Most of the members urged the government to treat this issue as humanitarian grounds than political or religion matter.

The Registrar General of India on Monday found 40 lakh people ineligible to be included in the draft National Register of Citizens.