High drama continued in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for the third straight day of the monsoon session today as opposition MPs staged protests over a range of issues, including the Pegasus snooping controversy. In the Rajya Sabha, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, was forced to cut short his statement on Pegasus snooping controversy amid uproar by the opposition members.
As soon as Mr Vaishnaw rose to give a statement on Pegasus, Trinamool MP Shantanu Sen snatched the statement paper from his hand and threw it to towards the Deputy Chairman.
The Rajya Sabha was later adjourned till tomorrow. This is the third adjournment in the upper house -- first till 12 noon and then till 2 pm -- after MPs trooped into the Wells of the House raising slogans and holding placards.
"Members seem to be not interested in discussing people's issues," Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said, adjourning the proceedings in the upper house earlier in the day.
In the Lok Sabha, Bhartruhari Mahtab, who was in the Chair, was forced to adjourn for a second time -- the Question Hour barely lasted 12 minutes before Speaker Om Birla adjourned the House till 12 noon -- after protesting members ignored his plea to return to their seats and engage in discussion.
Since the pandemic began, three sessions of Parliament were curtailed while the winter session last year had to be cancelled.
The monsoon session, which usually starts in July, had begun in September last year due to the raging pandemic.
