Congress presses for debate on Chinese aggression, forces adjournment in Rajya Sabha

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The Opposition Congress on Friday kept pressing for a debate on clashes along the border with China, forcing a brief adjournment of proceedings in Rajya Sabha.

Congress and other opposition parties have been trying to raise the issue since December 13, after reports appeared of clashes between Indian and Chinese soldiers in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh. In the initial days, they staged walkouts but have since Thursday, forced adjournments.

On Friday, Congress MPs pressed for acceptance of their notices under rule 267 that sought to set aside the business of the day to take up a debate on the issue but the chair did not permit it.

They initially shouted slogans and disrupted issues of public importance being raised by other MPs through zero-hour submissions but later, trooped into the Well of the House, forcing Deputy Chairman Harivansh to adjourn proceedings for 25 minutes.

When the House met for the day, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said his party and other opposition parties have been trying to raise a very serious issue of national security.

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Discussions being sought by opposition parties are not being allowed, he added.

Harivansh said allegations should not be levelled against the chair.

He also cited last week's ruling of Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar expressing inability to accept notices under rule 267 in the absence of such pleas not specifying the particular rule that was being sought to be set aside.

Eight notices under rule 267 were received on Friday but barring one by Raghav Chadha of the AAP, none specified the rule that was being sought to be set aside for taking up a discussion, he said, adding that the notices were under consideration of the chairman.

The notices were to take up a discussion on the Chinese aggression along the border, misuse of enforcement agencies against opposition parties and rising unemployment, he said.

This, however, did not satisfy the opposition parties, who continued to raise the issue of the clashes along the border with China.

Harivansh said he had previously cited precedence to state why clarifications on the defence minister's statement over the issue were disallowed.

While the Congress MPs shouted slogans, he took up zero-hour mentions. But the slogan shouting and the disruptions did not stop.

After a couple of zero-hour submissions, a few Congress MPs trooped into the Well of the House, forcing Harivansh to adjourn the proceedings till 12 noon.

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