Lok Sabha adjourned for 30 mins after noisy Opposition protests

New Delhi: After a washout of Lok Sabha proceedings for a week, noisy protests by the opposition over Lalit Modi, Vyapam and other issues on Monday led to a short adjournment of the House, but only after it took up three questions during the Question Hour.

As soon as the House met for the day, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan told members that she has rejected notices of adjournment motion on the IPL scam by Mallikarjun Kharge, M

Veerappa Moily (both Congress), K Karunakaran (CPI-M) and N K Premchandran (RSP) and similar notice given by Mohd Salim on Vyapam scam and Jeethendra Reddy (TRS) on separate High Court in Telangana.

Soon, Congress members sporting black bands on their arms rushed to the Well holding placards. They shouted slogans against the Prime Minister for his "silence" on the Lalit Modi controversy, demanding the resignations of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.

Holding placards, members from Samajwadi Party demanded the release of caste-based census data.

Members of the Trinamool Congress were raising slogans demanding withdrawal of controversial amendments to the land acquisition bill and shouting slogans like 'kisan ro raha hai, Modi sarkar so raha hai' (farmers are crying while Modi

government is sleeping).

Despite repeated appeals by the Speaker against displaying placards, Congress, TRS and SP members continued to raise slogans. "Please withdraw the placards, this is against the rules," she said.

Amid the din, the House took up three questions relating to Tribal Affairs, Petroleum and Railways, though nothing much could be heard.

Replying to a supplementary, when Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan referred to Prime Minister's slogan of giving up LPG subsidy, NDA members welcomed the remark by thumping desks, prompting the Opposition members to raise their pitch.

As the opposition continued with its protest, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi was seen directing party members to continue with the sloganeering. Incidentally, he was not wearing black band on his arm today.

As the pandemonium continued, the House was adjourned for 35 minutes till 12 noon