Opposition walks out of RS after denied debate on China

New Delhi, Dec 22 The Opposition in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday staged a walk-out and announced to boycott the House proceedings after the Chairman yet again denied permission for a debate on Chinese transgressions in Arunachal Pradesh border.

Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar called both the leaders of the House and Opposition at 1 p.m. to his chamber but Mallikarjun Kharge refused saying that the discussion should take place in the House and the whole nation should watch it. He, however, added that the Opposition's intention is not to embarrass the Chair but to take up the issue.

At this, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that to discuss the same issue, the then minister Pranab Mukherjee had called BJP's Kiren Rijuju to his chamber.

Amid heated exchanges, the Chair said that he will not allow the platform to be misused.

He said he has enormous respect for all the members, "I would urge the LoP to go through every notice." Chairman Dhankar repeatedly requested Kharge to prevail on the members to take their seat.

"What kind of performance we are exhibiting outside," but the agitated opposition members kept raising the slogan, "we want discussion".

The uproar started after the notices under rule 267 of the Opposition members on the issue were rejected by the Chair.

Earlier, the Opposition floor leaders met in the morning and decided to press for a discussion in the House on the issue. The Opposition has alleged that the government was hiding some facts, hence is avoiding a debate.