RS adjourns without conducting any business

Rajya Sabha session on Thursday adjourned for the day without transacting any business even as Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said the entire country is agitated over the way the House is functioning.

Since the Parliament convened on December 11 for the Winter Session, Rajya Sabha has not conducted any meaningful business except passing a bill last week as a section of MPs were protesting on a variety of issues.

On Thursday soon after the official documents were tabled, AIADMK members first rushed to the Well of the House raising their demand for protecting farmers in Cauvery delta. They were joined by DMK MP Tiruchi Siva for a brief time.

YSR Congress MP Vijai Sai Reddy was also in the Well of the House demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh.

Congress MPs, though did not rush to the Well, raised the decibel levels on Rafale deal demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into the issue. Holding placards, Congress MPs raised slogans, which were countered by BJP MPs who sought an apology from Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

As the din continued, Naidu adjourned the House saying, "the entire country is agitated at the way the House is functioning."

Outside the House, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien targeted the ruling BJP for the logjam in Parliament. He tweeted, the BJP "script is: 1) Ministers run to TV channels 2) BJP sends AIADMK into Well 3) Disrupt Houses so Oppn cannot raise issues like jobs, farmer distress and breakdown of institution."