New Delhi

The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm on Tuesday after Opposition members stepped up protests, demanding that certain issues be taken up before the commencement of the discussion on the Union Budget.

The House reassembled at noon following an earlier adjournment, during which ministers and members tabled papers and standing committee reports amid continued sloganeering by Opposition MPs.

Presiding over the proceedings, P C Mohan made repeated attempts to restore order, but his appeals failed to calm the protesting members.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that while several Opposition MPs were prepared to participate in the Budget debate, the Congress was unwilling to initiate the discussion.

As the disruptions continued, Mohan adjourned the House till 2 pm.

Earlier in the day, when the Lok Sabha met at 11 am, similar scenes of disorder prevailed.

Soon after Question Hour began, Opposition members raised slogans and pressed the Chair to allow them to speak.

Samajwadi Party MP Iqra Choudhary posed a question, but the minister’s reply could not be heard due to the uproar.

The situation escalated as Congress members entered the Well of the House, while MPs from the Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress and other Opposition parties stood near their seats and in the aisles in protest.

With proceedings repeatedly disrupted, Mohan adjourned the House till noon.

Speaker Om Birla usually presides over Question Hour proceedings.

The Lok Sabha has witnessed frequent disruptions since February 2, with Opposition members staging sustained protests over various issues. These include objections to the Chair’s decision disallowing Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi from quoting an article that referred to an unpublished memoir of former Army chief M M Naravane related to the 2020 India-China standoff.

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Last week, eight Opposition MPs were suspended for the remainder of the session.