Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day amid Congress' ruckus over price rise, GST

New Delhi, July 18: On the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Monday following sloganeering and disruption by Congress MPs over issues like price rise and GST.

As Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu was making some observations, several Congress members trooped into the Well of the House and started raising slogans.

"As some people have come determined not to allow the House to function and also enable members to go and vote in the Presidential election, I am adjourning the House for the day," the Chairman said as he adjourned the proceedings.

The House paid homage to former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, ex UAE president Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and former Kenayan president Mwai Kibaki.

Obituaries were also paid to former members Kishore Kumar Mohanty, Robert Kharshiing, K K Veerappan and santoor player Pandit Shivkumar Sharma.

Earlier, several newly elected members of the upper House took oath.

Meanwhile, the Monsoon session of the Lok Sabha began on Monday with obituary references and new members taking oath, and was then adjourned till 2 pm so members could vote in the presidential poll.

As the House met for the first time in the Monsoon session of Parliament, three MPs, including veteran Bollywood actor and Trinamool Congress' Shatrughan Sinha, took oath as member of the Lok Sabha.

Speaker Om Birla then read out obituary references to three foreign leaders, including former Japan prime minister Shinzo Abe, and eight former members who passed away recently.

Birla said elections in India are celebrated as a festival.

And since the election to the president was underway, it should also be celebrated, he said.

Members should participate in the festival, the speaker said, and declared the House adjourned till 2 pm.