Wed Dec 04 17:55:52 UTC 2024: **Rajya Sabha Walkout Over Farmers’ Issues**
NEW DELHI (December 5, 2024) – Opposition MPs staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha yesterday, protesting the government’s perceived anti-farmer policies and the failure to increase the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops. The protest followed the rejection of motions to discuss the farmers’ plight by Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, who accused the opposition of political maneuvering and prioritizing slogans over solutions.
Congress members raised slogans after their motions were disallowed. While initially refusing to allow discussion, Mr. Dhankhar later permitted a brief statement from Congress MP Pramod Tiwari, who reiterated the government’s broken promise on MSP increases and the subsequent farmer unrest. Following this statement, Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP) members walked out.
Earlier in the day, five notices under Rule 267, calling for discussions on various issues including farmer concerns, the recent Tamil Nadu cyclone, allegations against the Adani Group, and violence in Uttar Pradesh, were deemed out of order by the Chairman. This walkout follows a recent march on Delhi by farmers from western Uttar Pradesh protesting similar issues.
First Piper 