Rajya Sabha adjourned twice as Opposition, treasury benches disrupt Question Hour
Synopsis
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice in a single morning sitting on 11 August as Opposition sloganeering and a retaliatory ruckus from treasury benches made Question Hour unworkable. Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan's flat refusal to allow state subjects — including the Jharkhand issue — sits at the heart of a widening standoff between the Chair and the Leader of Opposition.
Key Takeaways
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned until 2 pm on 11 August — the second adjournment of the day.
Radhakrishnan rejected Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge's repeated attempts to raise state subjects on the floor.
Treasury benches also sought to raise state-specific matters, including the Jharkhand issue, which were similarly disallowed.
Chandrashekhar's attempt to intervene was ruled out of order; the Chairman said nothing would go on record.
Question Hour on the Department of Renewable Energy could not proceed meaningfully amid continuous sloganeering from both sides.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned until 2 pm on Tuesday, 11 August after Opposition members engaged in continuous sloganeering and treasury bench members responded in kind, bringing Question Hour to a standstill for the second time in the same session. The disruptions prevented any substantive legislative business from proceeding during the morning sitting.
What Triggered the Second Adjournment
When the House reconvened following the first adjournment, Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan firmly rejected attempts by Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to raise certain issues on the floor. The Chairman told Kharge directly that he was 'repeatedly raising the same subject' and that state subjects would not be entertained.
Radhakrishnan also noted that the treasury benches had similarly sought to raise state-specific matters — including the Jharkhand issue — and that those requests had equally been disallowed. 'I cannot allow you to raise the state subject every day. It is nothing but disrupting the House proceedings,' the Chairman stated.
The Standoff on the Floor
When G.C. Chandrashekhar of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) attempted to intervene, Chairman Radhakrishnan ruled that nothing would go on record and made clear that only members sticking to specifically listed questions would be permitted to speak. Kharge's response could not be heard clearly amid the rising din.
Question Hour formally commenced, with the Chair calling upon members to address questions related to the Department of Renewable Energy. However, Opposition members continued raising slogans throughout, and members from the treasury benches subsequently joined in creating disorder. Repeated appeals for order went unheeded.
Pattern of Disruption
Observing that the House could not function productively under such conditions, Chairman Radhakrishnan adjourned proceedings until 2 pm. This marked the second adjournment of the day, underscoring what has become a recurring pattern in the current session — a sustained standoff between the Opposition and the Chair over which issues can legitimately be raised during parliamentary time.
Notably, the dispute is not merely procedural. The Opposition's insistence on raising state subjects reflects a broader political contest over the scope of parliamentary oversight, while the Chair's repeated disallowances signal an effort to enforce rules that critics argue are being selectively applied.
What Happens Next
The Rajya Sabha was scheduled to reconvene in the afternoon for further business. Whether the afternoon session proceeds without disruption will depend on whether the Opposition and treasury benches reach an informal understanding with the Chair — something that has proved elusive through the morning sitting.
Point of View
But the fact that treasury benches were simultaneously attempting the same manoeuvre undermines any claim that the disruption is one-sided. The real casualty is Question Hour itself — one of Parliament's sharpest accountability tools — which is being hollowed out session by session. Until both sides treat floor time as a shared resource rather than a political battleground, adjournments will remain the default outcome.
NationPress
11 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was the Rajya Sabha adjourned on 11 August?
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned until 2 pm on 11 August after continuous sloganeering by Opposition members and a retaliatory ruckus from treasury benches disrupted Question Hour. It was the second adjournment of the day, as the House could not function productively amid the disorder.
What issues was Mallikarjun Kharge trying to raise?
Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge repeatedly sought to raise state subjects on the floor of the Rajya Sabha. Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan disallowed these attempts, stating that state subjects would not be entertained and that Kharge was raising the same subject repeatedly.
Did the treasury benches also contribute to the disruption?
Yes. After Opposition members began sloganeering, members from the treasury benches also joined in creating disorder. The Chairman had earlier disallowed treasury bench attempts to raise state-specific matters, including the Jharkhand issue.
What was Question Hour scheduled to cover?
Question Hour was scheduled to address questions related to the Department of Renewable Energy. However, continuous sloganeering from both sides prevented any meaningful discussion from taking place.
Who is C.P. Radhakrishnan and what authority does he hold?
C.P. Radhakrishnan is the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, India's upper house of Parliament. As Chairman, he presides over proceedings, rules on points of order, and has the authority to adjourn the House when proceedings cannot be conducted in an orderly manner.
