Rajya Sabha Adjourned For 5th Day After Impasse Over PM’s Remarks

There has been an uproar in the Rajya Sabha for the last few days over PM Modi’s remarks about Manmohan Singh.

The Indian Parliament building in New Delhi. 

(Photo: Reuters)

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned on Friday, 22 December, till 11 am on 27 December after the Congress party raised slogans over PM Narendra Modi’s remarks on Manmohan Singh.

The Congress party had earlier submitted an adjournment motion under rule 267, which issues suspension of business in the House, over the matter.

BJP MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, in turn, moved an adjournment motion to the Upper House over the remarks of Congress leaders against PM Modi.

The Opposition has been up in arms for the last three days in the Upper House of the Parliament, demanding a clarification from the prime minister over his remarks accusing Manmohan Singh of colluding with Pakistani officials over the Gujarat elections.

Cong Blames “Stubborn” BJP For Impasse

The Congress, on 21 December, asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to shed his "raaj-hatth" (stubbornness) and clarify in Parliament his 'conspiracy with Pakistan' remarks against his predecessor Singh to end the stalemate and enable a discussion on issues such as the Rafale deal.

Congress leader Anand Sharma held the "obduracy" of the prime minister and the attitude of the government as being responsible for the impasse in Parliament, that continued with a washout of the proceedings in the Rajya Sabha.

He also accused the government of wanting to continue the standoff so that issues of critical concern to the people are not taken up.

Sharma alleged that the government does not want the opposition to raise issues of acts of "commission and omission" and the wrong decisions of the prime minister.

He said that the government does not want that it is exposed on the floor of the House on issues such as the Rafale scam which the opposition wants to discuss.

"It is the responsibility of the PM to clear doubts regarding his accusations. It is his duty to restore the dignity of the office and in the interest of parliamentary democracy that this deadlock comes to an end," Sharma told reporters.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)