Rajya Sabha adjourned till noon amid Opposition protests and repeated sloganeering

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till noon after repeated sloganeering and protests by Opposition members disrupted Zero Hour proceedings. Amid the disruptions, MPs raised issues ranging from health insurance and generic medicines to hydrogen-powered trains and student protests.

New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha witnessed repeated sloganeering by Opposition members and interruptions during Zero Hour and discussion on various issues on Wednesday, leading the Chairman to adjourn the House till noon.

After the laying of papers, when members began raising issues, Opposition MPs started sloganeering. Paul Sharma of the BJP spoke about the government’s achievements in Jammu and Kashmir.

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Meanwhile, Opposition members trooped into the well of the House and continued their slogans. Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan warned some members, saying, “Don’t force me to take action against you; it is against Rule 235 of the House.”

When Dr M. Thambidurai of the AIADMK (Tamil Nadu) rose to speak, Opposition members again demanded permission to speak.

The Chairman asked them to return to their seats, stating he would permit them only then. However, they paid no heed and kept up the sloganeering.

Sanjay Bhatia of the BJP (Haryana) highlighted the government’s achievement of launching the first hydrogen fuel train and demanded that the route be extended to Jind-Panipat-Rohtak so that it could benefit farmers of the region.

Sangeeta Balwant of the BJP (Uttar Pradesh) referred to the achievement of private company Skyroot in launching a rocket into space.

Dr V. Sivadasan of the CPI(M) from Kerala raised the issue of private educational institutes issuing notices to students who participated in the students’ protest in Delhi. The Chairman intervened and warned him that if he deviated from the subject, his speech would not go on record.

Kavita Patidar of the BJP (Madhya Pradesh) highlighted the difficulties faced by common people with the Swasthya Bima (health insurance) policy. She demanded that the government simplify the language so that ordinary citizens can clearly understand which diseases are excluded. She also called for greater transparency, reduced documentation and accountability of insurance companies so that millions could benefit.

Dr Medha Vishram Kulkarni from Maharashtra raised the issue of price differences in various medicines. She said the price of the same medicines should be uniform and pointed out that in the absence of stringent laws, profiteering ranged from 600 to 1,100 per cent.

Referring to the Prime Minister’s emphasis on generic medicines, she urged adoption of global benchmarks to keep the market competitive and suggested making it mandatory for doctors and chemists to prescribe only generic medicines.

Opposition members then raised a point of order, which the Chairman declined. He invited Rajiv Kumar and asked if he wished to speak. Before the member could properly explain, the Chairman adjourned the House till noon.

Earlier, when the Rajya Sabha assembled at 11 a.m., several papers and reports were laid on the Table of the House. Papers relating to the Ministries of Education, Social Justice and Empowerment, Home Affairs, Road Transport and Highways, and Women and Child Development were laid by Jayant Chaudhary, Ramdas Bandu Athawale, Nityanand Rai, B.L. Verma, Ajay Tamta and Savitri Thakur respectively.

Anil Kumar Yadav Mandadi laid a copy of the Report (Eighteenth Lok Sabha) of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Coal, Mines and Steel (2025-26). The report deals with the Action Taken by the Government on the Observations and Recommendations contained in the Committee’s Twentieth Report on Demands for Grants (2026-27) pertaining to the Ministry of Steel.

Baidyanath Ram laid copy two reports of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (Eighteenth Lok Sabha).