Disruption forces Indian parliament to adjourn

Members of Parliament (MP) from The Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) stage a protest against the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) at the Winter Session of Parliament in New Delhi yesterday. Photo: AFP

It was another day of disruptions in parliament with the Lok Sabha being adjourned till Monday and the Rajya Sabha till 2.30pm as differences continued over the issue of foreign investment in multi-brand retail.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with the Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Trinamool Congress continued their protest for the second consecutive day of the winter session.
Both houses saw frequent disruptions. The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were initially adjourned till 12 noon but furore continued even after that. Finally, the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day and the Rajya Sabha till 2.30pm.
The opposition, pressing for a vote on foreign investment in retail, stalled proceedings and raised slogans.
Meanwhile, report on the much debated anti-corruption bill was tabled in the upper house yesterday.
The bill on Lokpal and Lokayuktas was sent to a select committee in the budget session earlier this year after several objections were raised on its form. It was passed by the Lok Sabha at the end of the winter session last year.
Addressing a press conference on the bill later, Satyavrat Chaturvedi, Rajya Sabha select committee chief on the Lokpal Bill, said: "Drafting the recommendations was a difficult job because of legal issues and diversified views from different political parties."
He added that the bill will presented in the Rajya Sabha as amended by the committee.