Opposition continues protest, Venkaiah says compounding their offence

On Wednesday morning, Rajya Sabha saw disruptions before the Opposition boycotted proceedings for the rest of the day.

As Opposition leaders kept demanding that the suspension of the 12 members be revoked, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said he is being forced to adjourn because of the disrupting members.

As Zero Hour proceedings began, Opposition members stood up in the seats and some came to the well of the House protesting. Leader of the Opposition in the House Mallikarjun Kharge said the Opposition has “repeatedly requesting that our 12 members have been suspended from this House” and called it “illegal, undemocratic and unconstitutional.”

But, Naidu, visibly upset, said that “disobeying the Chair is undemocratic… You cannot be having this everyday. This is not the way. You are compounding the offence…”

As Naidu tried to go ahead with Zero Hour, he said the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the House should resolve the matter together so that the House is allowed to function smoothly.