New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 3 p.m. on Monday after sustained disruptions by Opposition members when the House reassembled at 2 p.m. following multiple earlier adjournments.
Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh took up The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and allowed Congress member Pramod Tiwari of Congress (Rajasthan) to raise a point of order if he had one relating to the legislation.
Tiwari agreed and began by saying that the question was one of relevance, that the country came first and that democracy still existed in the nation.
He then sought to refer to Rule 258, but was interrupted by the Deputy Chairman before he could complete his submission.
The Chair next permitted CPI(M) member John Brittas to raise his point of order.
Brittas said that while Tiwari had referred to Rule 258, he himself was invoking Rule 257, as there was no order in the House.
Before Brittas could elaborate further, the Deputy Chairman called upon DMK member Tiruchi Siva.
Siva contended that the Bill was already ultra vires the Indian Constitution.
The Deputy Chairman responded that the matter had already been decided and that the House had given its sanction.
He then asked Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai to move the motion on the Bill for discussion.
Despite the Chair’s direction, the din in the House continued with Opposition members raising slogans.
The Deputy Chairman informed the protesting members that they were violating Rules 235 and 238 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States.
Seeing no improvement in the situation, he adjourned the House till 3 p.m.
The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 is a proposed legislation that extends legal protection to India’s national song, Vande Mataram, placing it on equal footing with the national anthem, ‘Jana Gana Mana’. It was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on July 24.
The repeated interruptions on Monday marked another day of the ongoing Monsoon Session during which little legislative work could be transacted in the Upper House amid persistent protests.
(IANS)
