A united Opposition on Tuesday boycotted the Rajya Sabha for the day alleging that they were not being allowed by the Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu to speak in the House.
"Opposition parties have boycotted Rajya Sabha today because the chair (Rajya Sabha chairman) has not been allowing them to speak and raise issues," Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad told media while being accompanied by the leaders of Samajwadi Party, Nationalist Congress Party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Communist Party of India- Marxist, Communist Party of India, All India Trinamool Congress, and Aam Aadmi Party.
He said the chair had been meting out such a treatment to the opposition members for the past one week.
"Today too, the House was adjourned till 2 p.m. We have not intruded into the Question Hour or Business Hour, but we want what has been provided for us under the rules and regulations of the Rajya Sabha," Azad said.
He added, "Yesterday, I have said in the house that the voice of the opposition is being muzzled outside the house but we do not want to happen this inside the house."
Congress MP Anand Sharma said, "We find this un-democratic and we will also give this in writing to the RS chairman. Representatives who come from various places of the country are not being allowed to speak in the house.