Opposition staged a walk-out as Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday turned down their appeal for revocation of suspension of the 12 MPs

NEW DELHI — The proceedings of the Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day on Tuesday after the Opposition staged a walk-out over Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu’s refusal to revoke the suspension of the 12 MPs.

Requesting Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh to adjourn the House in the absence of the Opposition, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said: “Ours is a Democratic government and our leader is also very democratic so we do not want to run the House without the Opposition. They have boycotted it for a day so let them come back tomorrow so that we can take up the bills. The government is open to constructive criticism.”

The Deputy Chairman then adjourned the House till 11 a.m. on Wednesday.

Earlier Leader of the House Piyush Goyal slammed the Opposition and justified the Chair’s decision and recounted the series of events which led to their suspension. “The action was needed to protect the sanctity of the House as a section of the Opposition MPs had created ruckus, attacked women marshals and tried to vandalise the House during the last Monsoon session.”

Naidu, on Tuesday, turned down the Opposition’s appeal for revocation of suspension.

“I am not considering the appeal of Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to revoke suspension of 12 MPs till the errant Members apologise for their misconduct and the House functions smoothly,” he observed.

At this, the Opposition members staged a walk-out.

Kharge had raised the issue under rule 256 saying that the suspension was contrary to rules of the House.

“The Members have been suspended over a conduct which occurred in the previous session and is against the rules of the House,” the LoP said, adding that the question of apologising does not arise.

In response, the Chairman said that the House has adopted a motion and on August 11 only, the MPs were named by the Chair.