The Rajya Sabha on Thursday, 6 August descended into sharp verbal confrontations and sustained Opposition protests, with members demanding the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in the upper house. The disruptions forced Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan to adjourn proceedings until 2:15 pm after repeated attempts to restore order failed.

Opposition Demands and the Kharge-Rijiju Face-Off

After the House reassembled at noon, Chairman Radhakrishnan allowed Question Hour to proceed despite continuous sloganeering of 'Grih Mantri Sadan Mein Aao' from the Opposition benches. He assured that Leader of Opposition (LoP) Mallikarjun Kharge would be given the floor once initial questions concluded.

When Kharge was invited to speak, a heated exchange with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju quickly followed. Kharge defended the Opposition's position, asserting that members were raising matters of national importance and that it was his right to decide 'how to speak, what to speak and when to speak.' Invoking former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Kharge argued that 'disruption is part of democracy' and that members hold a fundamental right to raise pressing public questions.

The Rules Dispute

The confrontation sharpened when Kharge accused Rijiju of misapplying parliamentary rules — alleging he had cited Rule 239 while disregarding Rule 238, which bars personal, defamatory, or incriminatory allegations against fellow members. Kharge linked this to earlier remarks concerning Congress leader Pawan Khera, stressing that no inflammatory or defamatory statements should be permitted inside the chamber.

Rijiju countered that he had in fact initially cited Rule 240, not Rule 239, and noted that Opposition members were repeatedly raising matters already addressed with the Chair's permission. He added that Khera, as a new member yet to deliver his maiden speech, deserved an opportunity to do so — a point he said he had raised in the morning session.

On Ministerial Presence and Collective Responsibility

Responding to the demand for the Home Minister's presence on the floor, Rijiju drew a procedural distinction: while members may request that the Chair take a decision, they cannot direct or dictate which minister must attend the House. 'We are all collectively responsible,' he said.

Chairman Radhakrishnan acknowledged the intent to facilitate newer members and told Rijiju to respect the Opposition's sentiments regarding the Home Minister's presence. He also firmly stated that no rule permits members to shout against the Chair. When member John Brittas attempted to thank the Chair for his direction to Rijiju, Radhakrishnan declined to entertain the point and adjourned the House.

SC/ST Judiciary Representation Raised During Question Hour

Earlier, during Question Hour, Rajya Sabha member Manoj Jha questioned the government on steps taken to ensure representation of judges from Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Scheduled Caste (SC) communities in the higher judiciary. Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal replied that the government always sends recommendations to include judges from ST and SC communities in the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP), which governs appointments and transfers to the Supreme Court and state high courts.

With the monsoon session already marked by persistent disruptions, Thursday's adjournment underscores the widening procedural fault lines between the treasury benches and the Opposition — and the unresolved question of when senior ministers will face the upper house directly.