The stalemate in Rajya Sabha continued today with opposition Congress remaining adamant on its demand for resignation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and the government outrightly rejecting it.
The Upper House witnessed uproarious scenes with opposition and treasury benches trading charges against each other, leading to two adjournments during the Zero Hour and the Question Hour.
Soon after the House assembled for the day and obituary references were made, Congress members stood in the aisle and raised slogans seeking action against Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje for allegedly helping controversial former IPL head Lalit Modi and Chouhan for the Vyapam scam, forcing Deputy Chairman P J Kurien to adjourn the House till noon.
Similar scenes were witnessed when the House met again for the Question Hour as there was no let up in the Congress demand for the resignations, with the government slamming them for making "baseless allegations" and making it clear that there was no question of agreeing to their demands.
Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad moved a motion that proceedings of the House be adjourned and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should come to the House and tell what action he has taken to ensure the resignation of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister in the Vyapam scam.
"The business of the House should be adjourned and the Prime Minister should come to the House and tell us what action he has taken for resignation of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister in the Vyapam scam. If Prime Minister comes and announces resignation, then we will listen," he said.
Rejecting the demand, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the opposition members were disrupting the proceedings every day on the same issue even though the government has made it clear that it was ready for a discussion.
But "nobody will resign, we have said it many times. Modi government will not act on baseless allegations," Naqvi said.
