RS adjourned twice over uproar on disinvestment, Karnataka crisis

Amid uproar over Karnataka crisis and protest against disinvestment, the Rajya Sabha proceedings were twice adjourned on Tuesday.

While Congress members stormed into the Well of the House over Karnataka crisis and blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party for stoking instability, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders protested against the government's move to disinvestment of state-owned companies.

"The Congress has eight MPs in Rajya Sabha and we had given a notice to the Chairman to raise the Karnataka issue in Rajya Sabha, but the Chairman did not allow it. We will raise the demand again in the House once it reassembles," Congress leader B.K. Hariprasad said.

The Upper House was first adjourned till 12.00 hours. However, after it reassembled, the proceedings were again adjourned due to high-pitched protest by the Congress and TMC.

The political crisis in Karnataka has been deepening over the last few days where dozens of ministers have resigned and many members of the ruling JDS-Congress alliance are learnt to be willing to switch their sides. This has threatened the future of the H.D. Kumaraswamy-led state government.

The TMC leaders' protest against disinvestment of PSUs have come after the Modi government reiterated in the Budget its plan to go ahead with the sell-off plan.IANS