Ruckus in Rajya Sabha on first day of Winter Session of Parliament

Rajya Sabha began the Winter Session on a stormy note with the Opposition forcing adjournments over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attack on his predecessor Manmohan Singh during Gujarat campaign and the disqualification of two JD(U) MLAs.

The morning session saw Opposition MPs rushing into the Well of the House twice forcing adjournment till 2.30 pm even as Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said he did not appreciate the members' conduct.

Soon after the customary obituary references and Naidu mentioning the disqualification of Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar on charges of voluntarily leaving the party, Opposition MPs were on their feet with Samajwadi Party member Naresh Agarwal first raising the issue. Naidu did not allow any discussion, saying none can challenge the Chair's ruling.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad then joined the issue saying it was Nitish Kumar and his supporters who should have been disqualified as they went against the party decision to align with Congress and



RJD.

"I was there in the meeting representing my party where in a rally we sought votes for the Grand Alliance. It is for Nitish and others to be disqualified and not Sharad Yadav or Ali Anwar," Azad said as JD(U) Parliamentary Party leader R C P Singh objected to it. Opposition MPs rushed into the Well as Naidu first adjourned the House.

When the House re-assembled at noon, Azad was on his feet mentioning his notice for suspending the business of House over Modi's allegation against Singh, former vice president Hamid Ansari and others during the poll campaign.

Even as Naidu disallowed the notice, Azad said he was raising an issue which both the government and the opposition found "very important".

"The Prime Minister during the poll campaign levelled allegations against the former prime Minister, former vice president, foreign secretaries, high commissioners and ambassadors that they conspired with Pakistan to influence Gujarat polls. This is not an usual allegation," he said.