RS adjourned till 1500 hrs on Doda killing issue

New Delhi, May 15: The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the fourth time till 1500 hrs today amid pandemonium with the opposition demanding Home Minister Shivraj Patil's presence in the House for the debate on the issue of the Doda and Udhampur killings to start.

As soon as the House reassembled at about 1430 hrs, opposition members raised slogans reiterating their demand that Mr Patil should come to the upper house for the debate on the killing of 35 innocent civilians of minority community in Jammu and Kashmir recently.

BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said the government should not adopt an adamant attitude on the issue. The matter is being discussed in the Lok Sabha. The Home Minister should come to the house so that the debate on the issue could be initiated and then could go back after sitting here for 10-15 minutes, she said.

''This way the house is being insulted. The minister should have himself come to the house for the debate as the upper house represents the states. The minister must be asked to come to the house,'' Ms Swaraj said.

She was supported by other BJP members who made vociferous demand for the debate on the issue to start.

However, the treasury benches opposed the BJP leader's demand.

''Now, she (Ms Swaraj) is giving direction to the government as to what the minister should do,'' a Congress member said.

Amid this bedlam, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan announced that the House has been adjourned till 1500 hrs.

UNI