Opposition forces adjournment of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha

New Delhi: Both Houses of Parliament saw adjournments on the first day of the second-half of budget session, with opposition members seeking to corner the government on a range of issues, including the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, demand for special status to Andhra Pradesh and demand for increasing quota beyond 50 per cent in Telangana.

While the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day after an earlier adjournment, the Rajya Sabha saw three adjournments. 

As the upper House was reconvened at 2 p.m after two earlier adjournments, the opposition MPs were on their feet and many of them trooped near the Chair's podium, shouting slogans "Nirav Modi ko wapas laao (Bring Nirav Modi back)".

Diamantaire Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi of Geetanjali Gems are the main accused in the Rs 12,600-crore PNB fraud case. 

Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien asked the agitating members to return to their seats but they kept shouting slogans.

On the other side of the podium, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MPs protested demanding special status to Andhra Pradesh, since Telangana was carved out of it. 

Kurien said he was ready to allow a short duration discussion on the PNB frauds and asked Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad to start it. But, Azad said that discussion could be started only if the other parties agreed to it.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to bring back black money. The black money hasn't come, while the white money flew out of the country," Azad said.

Amid the din, Kurien adjourned the House for the day.

In the morning, as soon as the House met for the day, opposition MPs protested against the multi-crore PNB scam forcing two adjournments.

Several opposition MPs including Azad, Samajwadi Party's Naresh Agarwal and Trinamool Congress' Sukhendu Shekhar Roy had given notice to discuss the PNB scam under Rule 267 by suspending all listed business for the day.

From the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) side, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe had given notice under the same rule for discussion on relatives of former Union Ministers allegedly found involved in scams.

The Chair rejected the notices and asked them to raise the issues under other relevant rules. 

In the Lok Sabha, opposition members from several parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the AIADMK, were on their feet raising different issues after the House met for the day.

Several members, including those from the TDP and the TRS, were displaying placards. While most of the TDP MPs were wearing yellow scarves, party MP Naramalli Sivaprasad from Chittoor was dressed as Lord Krishna. 

The AIADMK members were demanding constitution of Cauvery Management Board.

Amid din, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan announced that she had accepted resignation of Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader Neiphiu Rio as a member of the House with effect from February 22.

As the sloganeering continued, Mahajan adjourned the House for the day. 

Earlier, when the House met in the morning for its first sitting of the second-half of budget session, similar protests were witnessed. 

The Trinamool Congress and left paeties raised slogans in protest against the alleged bank fraud.

The members also paid tributes to four former members who had passed away.