Uproar over demonetisation, PM’s presence again disrupts RS proceedings

The Rajya Sabha saw two adjournments on Thursday in the post-noon session over demonetisation and PM Narendra Modi’s participation in debates.

The Rajya Sabha saw two adjournments on Thursday in the post-noon session over demonetisation and PM Narendra Modi’s participation in debates.

During question hour, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the PM addresses his party MPs in the House and speaks outside the Parliament about demonetisation, but refuses to do the same with the Opposition. (PTI)

During question hour, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the PM addresses his party MPs in the House and speaks outside the Parliament about demonetisation, but refuses to do the same with the Opposition.

“We had been demanding for last 15 days (presence of PM). ...We are against blackmoney. We want to speak on this issue but with whom? Our anguish is that the Prime Minister is holding weekly meetings with his MPs in Parliament House. He is also speaking outside. Our demand is that the Prime Minister should be here and listen to us,” Azad said.

Law and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu insisted that the House should continue with the debate on demonetisation, which started on November 16, the first day of the Winter session.

Ansari too echoed the same and asked listed speaker A U Singh Deo (BJD) to start the debate.

Sharad Yadav (JDU) said he too agreed that the debate should continue, but it “cannot be one-way traffic” and demanded that the Prime Minister should remain seated in the House all through the discussion.

As Singh Deo rose to put forth his points on demonetisation, Congress members started raising slogans like “Pradhan Mantri Mafi Maango (PM should apologise)” from the aisles.

Naidu said the Prime Minister ‘is here and the unfinished debate should be resumed’. However amid din, the House was adjourned for 15 minutes.

When it reassembled at 12:29, Congress members again started shouting slogans as the BJD member rose to debate.

Amid noise , Deo said, “We support any move taken by the Government of India for corruption and black money.”

But as the sloganeering continued, Ansari adjourned the House till 14:00.