Proceedings of both Houses of Parliament were disrupted today after a report on Rafale deal in an English daily. Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day as Congress-led Opposition created an uproar over the issue.

As soon as Rajya Sabha met for the day, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad tried to raise the matter. Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu refused permission, saying it can be discussed during a debate on Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address. This prompted Congress, TMC and other parties to raise slogans, forcing adjournment of the House for the day.

In the Lok Sabha, members from Congress, TMC, Left and others parties raised slogans over the issue and rushed to the well. As noisy scenes prevailed, after two adjournment, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House twice in the pre-lunch session.

In the post-lunch session, Lok Sabha took up the Interim Budget 2019-20 for discussion which was initiated by Tathagata Satpathy of BJD. soon after the discussion started, Congress, TMC and other opposition members staged a walkout over media report Rafale issue. They were demanding Joint Parliamentary Committee probe in the deal.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman rejected the media report on the Rafale deal. She accused the opposition of playing into the hands of Multinational Corporations. She said the newspaper report is incomplete as it carried only the then Defence Secretary’s comment and ignored the comment of the then Defence Minister.

The Defence Minister emphatically said every question on  Rafale has been answered thoroughly. She said periodical enquiries by PMO cannot be construed as interference. Ms Sitharaman said, the opposition flogging the dead-horse.