Both Houses of Parliament witness adjournments over demonetisation

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the third time till 2 PM today over demonetisation issue following opposition uproar as there is no change in the situation when the House re-assembled at Noon after its first adjournment. As noisy scenes continued, Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned the House till 2 P.M.

When the House re-assembled after its first adjournment, Opposition Congress members continued to troop in to the well of the House raising slogans against the government for its decision to demonitise high value currency notes. Sitaram Yechury of the CPIM said he was ready participate in the discussion on Demonetisation issue if Prime Minister is present in the House.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi pleaded with the Chair to direct the opposition members to resume discussion. Deputy Chairman Prof. P J Kurien told the agitating members saying that the best way to reflect the problems of the people is to resume the discussion. He adjourned the House till Noon as noisy scenes continued.

Earlier, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad criticised the government saying no steps were taken to address the problems of the people following demonetisation. Mr Yechury alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stopped trade and business activities in the country by



announcing the decision to demonitise high value currency notes. Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkiah Naidu took strong exception to the remarks by opposition members and urged the Chair to expunge them. As noisy scenes continued, Deputy Chairman Prof. P J Kurien adjourned the House till 1141 hours.

Earlier, as soon as the House met for the day, Chairman Hamid Ansari made an obituary reference to the passing away of the former Cuba President Commander Fidel Castro on the 25th of this month. Mr Ansari said a revolutionary, who stood for equality and justice, Mr. Castro was the architect of transformation of Cuba as a socialist state. He said he will always be remembered as a good friend of India for his contribution to the cordial relations between the two countries. Mr Ansari said Castro’s death is an irreversible loss to the Republic of Cuba and its people and also to the world at large. Afterwards, members observed silence as a mark of respect in his memory.

The Lok Sabha has also witnessed adjournment after opposition members trooped into the well of the House on demonetization issue. As soon as the House met for the day, Congress, TMC, NCP and RJD members trooped into the well shouting slogans and showing placards. Repeated requests from the chair to go back to their seat did not yield any result. However, the House took up the question hour. In the din, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till noon.