Terming the Income Tax order to Gujarat on MoUs signed during a recent investment meet as a "huge assault" on the country's federal character, protesting BJP members today virtually paralysed proceedings in the Rajya Sabha.
Forcing repeated adjournments, the main opposition, supported by ally JD(U) and BJD, demanded that Prime Minister or Finance Minister should set the record straight on the issue while Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley tersely asked the Centre if it considered Gujarat "an enemy territory" and Chief Minister Narendra Modi "an enemy alien". Following this BJP members trooped into Well shouting slogans.
After four adjournments, Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan was forced to adjourn the House for the day. The repeated disruptions anguished Chairman Hamid Ansari who recently decided to shift the Question Hour to the afternoon from the usual 1100 hours.