Both houses of Parliament were adjourned soon after proceedings began on Tuesday.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm amid protests by members of the Trinamool Congress, the Telugu Desam Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal.
Rajya Sabha chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu said he has not accepted a letter submitted by the TMC, the Akali Dal and the TDP because the members mentioned the names of the governors. However, the content of the letter is not known yet, reported PTI.
Earlier in the day, leaders from Andhra Pradesh held placards outside the Parliament, seeking special status for their state. TMC members, on the other hand, protested against the rising fuel prices, reported The Hindu.
At 2 pm, the Upper House reconvened, only to be adjourned again for an hour. Opposition leaders walked out of the House and have decided to boycott the session for the rest of the day, claiming that the chairperson was not allowing them to speak, ANI reported.
TMC parliamentarian Derek O’Brien said on Twitter, “Murder of democracy. Oppn being muzzled in RS #Parliament (sic)”. The leader claimed the Opposition was not allowed to raise issues during zero hour, and added, “We will not put up with this.”
Proceedings in the Lok Sabha also had to be adjourned for around 10 minutes after members of the Telugu Desam Party protested, demanding special facilities for Andhra Pradesh again, PTI reported.
The YSR Congress joined the protests in the Well, with leaders shouting slogans despite Speaker Sumitra Mahajan asking them to go back to their seats. Mahajan adjourned the house until 11.20 am.
Around noon, TDP leaders held up placards in the House. The TDP has been speaking out against the Union Budget, saying it was “disappointed” with how little was allotted to Andhra Pradesh.
When the session began again, the BJP moved a motion to thank the President’s address. BJP leaders Rakesh Singh and Prahlad Joshi spoke on the motions after which Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge rose to speak at 2 pm. His speech, however, was repeatedly interrupted, forcing the speaker to adjourn the session till 2.40 pm.
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