New Delhi, Dec 1 : An unrelenting Opposition Today forced repeated adjournments of the Rajya Sabha, with no business transacted as the Chair remained adamant in not revoking the suspension order of the 12 members.

The House saw four adjournments, before finally being adjourned for the day, just after 3 pm.

In the morning, Rajya Sabha Chairperson M. Venkaiah Naidu termed the disruption of the House by sloganeering opposition members as “sacrilege”.

As soon as the opposition raised their voices and started shouting slogans, demanding revocation of the suspension of the 12 members, Naidu said he would not allow it to go on record.

“I cannot allow this. This is sacrilege. There is no remorse…. Challenging the Chair, doing everything undemocratic. …This should not be shown.. The people are getting dismayed.

“I don’t want to see these unruly scenes,” the Chair said and adjourned the House till noon.

When the House met at 12 noon, the opposition members refused to let the proceedings continue, and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Harivansh Narayan Singh, who was presiding, adjourned the House till 2 pm.

Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress demanded the revocation of the suspension, but the Deputy Chair refused to allow him.

Kharge rose up to speak, he said: “I am compelled to bring to your notice the legitimate grievances of the 12 members…”

The Deputy Chair refused to listen, and called for the Question Hour to begin. He said that Chairperson Naidu has already said that the issue is to be discussed between the Chair and the aggrieved parties.

This led the Opposition to begin shouting slogans and they refused to let the proceedings continue.

The Deputy Chair asked the Opposition members to return to their seats and stop shouting slogans so that Question Hour could be held.

When the Opposition refused to relent, the Deputy Chair adjourned the House till 2 pm.

When the House resumed at 2 pm, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat got up to move the Dam Safety Bill 2019 for consideration.

However, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge demanded that he be allowed to raise the issue of the suspension of the 12 members, which the Deputy Chair refused again.

The Opposition members then began shouting slogans loudly and tried to enter the well of the House, which the Deputy Chair forbade them.

When the ruckus showed no signs of abating, the Deputy Chair adjourned the House till 3 pm.

Within minutes of the House assembling at 3 pm, following the third adjournment, the Opposition members started demanding that LOP Kharge be allowed to speak.

However, Rajya Sabha Vice Chairperson Bhubaneshwar Kalita of the BJP, who was presiding, said Shekhawat who had been speaking on the Dam Safety Bill 2019 earlier, be allowed to finish his speech.

However, the opposition members started a chant of “We Want LOP”, and refused to allow the House to function.

When the Opposition persisted with their demand, the Vice Chair adjourned the House till Thursday, at 11 am.

Chairman Naidu has refused to revoke the suspension of the 12 members, while Leader of the House Piyush Goyal has demanded that the suspended members must first apologise.(UNI)