'Muzzled' opposition boycotts Parliament

A group of opposition parties including the Congress on Tuesday boycotted the proceedings of Rajya Sabha, alleging that their voice was being "muzzled".

Among the parties which boycotted the proceedings after lunch include the Congress, the Trinamool Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Samajwadi Party, the Communist Party of India-Marxist, the CPI and the Aam Aadmi Party.

Members of the parties stayed away from the House when the proceedings resumed at 3 pm after two adjournments during the day.

"The voice of the opposition is being muzzled outside and we do not want this to happen with the opposition parties inside the House. Which is why we wanted to raise this issue since morning and which is why we have boycotted the House for the whole day," Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters.

He alleged that various issues happening in the period between proceedings of two days are meant to be raised during Zero Hour, but the moment MPs get up to raise these issues the House is adjourned till 2 pm.

"The framers of rules have provided that should anything of national importance happens between the previous day and this morning, we are supposed to raise that particular issue.

"We are not intruding into Question Hour or government business. What we want is provided in the rules. Unfortunately, for the last one week, we are not allowed to make use of rules," he said.

Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm after TMC members sought to raise issues concerning the state. On Monday too, the House was adjourned till 2 pm after Samajwadi Party members raised slogans in the well over the alleged encounter killings by the police in Uttar Pradesh.

Members of the AAP too were in the Well, apparently raising the issue of sealing of commercial establishments in Delhi.