The Opposition National Democratic Alliance and the Third Front continued to disrupt proceedings in Parliament over the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement leading to adjournment of both Houses till 1600 hours.
As soon as the Rajya Sabha met for the day, BJP members sought discussion on the deal under rule 184 which entails voting, a demand strongly opposed by treasury benches.
Sushma Swaraj, Murli Manohar Joshi and Arun Shourie (all BJP) and Manohar Joshi (Shiv Sena) were on their feet demanding discussion on the issue under rule 184.
Third Front members raised slogans demanding constitution of the JPC to go into the agreement.
Sushma Swaraj said Leader of the Opposition Jaswant Singh wanted to make a submission and he be allowed to speak.
Chairman Hamid Ansari said the Question Hour needs to be taken first.
"The Leader of Opposition will be given an opportunity to speak (later). Any question, the members wish to raise can be raised at appropriate discussion," he said as BJP members trooped into the well.
When Ansari's repeated pleas to restore calm went unheeded, he adjourned the House.
In the Lok Sabha, the Opposition members were on their feet as soon as the proceedings for the day began, calling for the suspension of the Question Hour to discuss the nuclear issue.
BJP Deputy Leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra and JD-U leader Prabhunath Singh said they had already given notices in this regard, but the government did not want to debate the issue.
Speaker Somnath Chatterjee pleaded to the Opposition to allow the Question Hour to be taken up, but to no avail. He said there were many important matters listed on the agenda.
Singh said he understood that price rise and farmers' problem were important matters, but he had given a notice for the suspension of the Question Hour to discuss the demand for the JPC.
He said the government was not interested, prompting Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi to state that nothing was being done to undermine the role of the Opposition as defined in the Constitution. It was, in fact, the Opposition stalling the proceedings.
At this, Malhotra and other NDA members stood on their feet, but what the BJP deputy leader said could not be heard in the din.
Amid the pandemonium, the Speaker adjourned the House till 1600 hours.
