Farm bills: Opposition members sit in protest inside RS after House adjourned

The House sitting ends at 1 PM and Rajya Sabha chamber has to be sanitised by 3 PM when Lok Sabha sits for a session. Both the chambers of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are being used for each House to allow members to follow physical distancing norms. Congress chief whip in Rajya Sabha told PTI that the opposition members will continue to sit in Rajya Sabha chamber till 3 PM to lodge their protest against the government's attitude.

This was done to mark their protest against the manner in which 'The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020' and 'The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020' were passed in the House without taking into consideration the demands of the opposition. The opposition members had given notices to move motions for sending the bills to a Select Committee for further scrutiny, but the same were not taken up as these members were not on their seats in the House and could not move them as they were protesting.

Earlier the House witnessed uproarious scenes when some opposition members led by the TMC climbed on to the chairman's podium as the government pushed for the passage of the two contentious farm bills. Slogan-shouting opposition members, including those from the TMC, Congress and Left, created ruckus after Deputy Chairman Harivansh did not consider their demand for a division of votes on a resolution to send the two bills to a select committee.