Parliament LIVE Updates: Tomar Briefs Rajya Sabha on Centre’s Schemes for Rural Areas, Will Address Farmers’ Issue Shortly

On Thursday evening, the opposition members shouted slogans against the agri laws as the House assembled after the third adjournment at 7 PM. However, the House was adjourned for the fourth time till 8:30 PM as members did not yield to the request of the chair. Earlier in the day, when Lok Sabha assembled at 4 PM, members of the Opposition started shouting slogans against the government and the agri laws. Few questions related to the ministry of roads and highways were replied by Union minister Nitin Gadkari. But as sloganeering continued, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asked members to return to their seats.

“Question Hour is the right of MPs…This behaviour is not good and I again request you all to return to your seats so that the House proceedings run properly,” he said. Shouting slogans and showing placards are against parliamentary tradition, he added.

But the Opposition members refused to relent forcing Birla to adjourn the House till 5 PM after about 20 minutes of proceedings. When the House re-convened at 5 pm, members of the Opposition again started raising slogans.

Some ministers and members laid papers on the table of the House, and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the Arbitration and Conciliation Amendment Bill, 2021. Meenakshi Lekhi, who was in the Chair, asked the members to return to their seats, but they continued with their protests. Soon, she adjourned the House till 6 pm after about 15 minutes of proceedings.

When House reassembled at 6 pm, the Opposition continued its protests shouting slogans and showing placards. Agrawal, who was in the chair, appealed to the members to go back to their seats so that the House can function normally.

“You have every right to raise any issue that you would like to. Please exercise this right. Please go to your seats, please don’t show the placards. You can raise your issues through the discussion on the motion thanking the President for his address,” he said. However, the opposition ignored his pleas and continued the protests, forcing Agrawal to adjourn the House till 7 pm after just 10 minutes of proceedings.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at Delhi’s borders for over two months demanding rollback of the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.