Rajya Sabha adjourned for day amid ruckus

New Delhi, July 28: Following repeated adjournments earlier on, the Rajya Sabha was on Friday adjourned for the day soon after it met after lunch, amid a ruckus by Opposition and treasury benches.

As soon as the house reconvened at 2.30 p.m., Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi demanded an apology from Congress members for "maligning the image of Gujarat and defaming its people" in the morning.

"During the Zero Hour and the Question Hour, Congress members said some very objectionable things. They called Gujarat a hub of fake encounters and now a hub of stealing MLAs," Naqvi said.

"The Leader of Opposition (Ghulam Nabi Azad) should apologise for trying to malign Gujarat's image and defaming the people of Gujarat. There is resentment among Gujarat's people as their state is being maligned in this house," he said.

The Minister also asked the Chair to expunge the relevant remarks from the proceedings.

"They must apologise," he said.

Senior Congress leader B.K. Hariprasad alleged that the Prime Minister's Office was "directly involved" in Gujarat's developments.

BJP members objected loudly and trooped into the aisle, demanding an apology from the Congress members. Both sides raised slogans and demanded apology from the other.

Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien then adjourned the house for the day amid the ruckus.

The house earlier saw repeated adjournments on the issue of Congress legislators from Gujarat resigning and joining the state's ruling BJP. The Congress members accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of high-handedness to "steal" its assembly members.