Rajya Sabha Proceedings Halted a Record 11 Times, Including 10 Times in 180 Minutes

New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for a record 11 times on Wednesday due to noisy protests by the opposition which thwarted the government's attempts to get an anti-corruption amendment bill passed, as the two sides entered into heated exchanges amid unabated slogan-shouting.

The proceedings were adjourned 11 times, including 10 times within three hours between 2 PM and 5:10 PM, finally ended without transacting any legislative business.

While several ministers including Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar and Ministers of State Jitendra Singh and Vijay Goel trying their best to get the Prevention of

Corruption (Amendment) Bill 2013 cleared, the opposition Congress pointed out that new members, who took oath yesterday and today, had not been given division numbers which enables them to vote.

Many opposition members were also insisting that the government should also discuss the issues concerning the scheduled castes and tribes and banking scam and kept pouring into Well of the House, carrying placards and raising slogans.

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien tried several times to go for a division for voting on the amendments moved by Trinamool Congress member Sukhendu Shekhar Ray, but his appeals to the protesting members fell on deaf ears.

Ray insisted that a division cannot take place as the House was not in order and the lobbies were not clear. "I have asked for division but no voting process can be held now. For that, the Well has to be cleared and lobby has to be cleared," he said, adding the Chair should bring order in the House or adjourn it.

Following this, Deputy Chairman adjourned the House till 4:21 PM for 10 minutes. The proceedings were again adjourned at 4:30 PM till 4:45 PM.

Leaders of some major partries went inside the chamber of the Chair to break the logjam, with the House again going for two short adjournments till 5:10 PM.

As no resolution was in sight in the backroom negotiations, Kurien finally adjourned the House for the day. In the morning, the House was first adjourned till 2 PM within about 20 minutes after it met at 11 AM following opposition protests.