RS adjourned three times before noon

Rajya Sabha witness three adjournments in quick sucession as Samajwadi Party disrupt proceedings over what it said is "selective targeting" in the name of breach of privilege.

Rajya Sabha on Wednesday saw three adjournments in quick sucession as Samajwadi Party disrupted proceedings over what it said was "selective targeting" in the name of breach of privilege.

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Soon after Chairman Hamid Ansari made obituary references, SP members were up on their feet protesting over privilege complaints made against them by seven members including Santosh Bagrodia (Cong), Manohar Joshi (SS) and Supriya Sule (NCP) for disrupting Question Hour last week.

The SP members led by Shahid Siddiqui trooped into the well of House saying they were being "selectively targeted" as such acts in past have not been taken note of.

Ansari, who had earlier referred the breach of privilege complaint to the Privileges Committee for examination, pleaded for taking up of Question Hour. But SP members, who were supported by TDP, were unrelenting, forcing him to adjourn the House for 10 minutes.

When the House reassembled, SP members again trooped into the well demanding withdrawal of the privilege notices. With pleas of taking up of Question Hour going unheeded, Bagrodia, who was in the Chair, adjourned the House for 15 minutes.

Bagrodia had to adjourn the House again till 1200 hrs as members were unrelenting. The Question Hour could not be taken up due to the disruptions.

Ansari had, in an unprecendented move on February 29, referred the breach of privilege complaint by the seven members to the Privileges Committee for examination.