Won't let Parliament function till Modi takes part in note ban debate: Oppn

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha witnessed chaotic scenes on Thursday as Opposition members raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his government's decision to demonetise Rs 500, Rs 1,000 notes. Opposition members vowed they would not let the House function till Modi himself came to take part in the demonetisation debate, forcing Rajya Sabha to adjourn for the day.

Lok Sabha also witnessed similar chaos as members discussed illegal mining, whereas many members of the Opposition demanded a debate on note ban instead. The Government refused to give in to the demand and the Lower House was adjourned till Friday.

Here are the updates from Parliament:

• A heated war of words broke out between leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad and BJP leaders, leading to complete chaos in the House. Speaker P J Kurien adjourns the Rajya Sabha till Friday.

• Ghulam Nabi Azad hit back at BJP, said "You (BJP) attend marriages and functions in Pakistan and lay out red carpets for them, and you are saying this to us?".

• "Leader of opposition is insulting nation by making such remarks by comparing this with Pakistan sponsored terror attacks, should apologise," Venkaiah Naidu told Rajya Sabha.

• BJP leader hits back at Congress for criticising note ban, asks them if they want to support Pak-sponsored terrorism. "Do you want to save Pakistan, do you want to give certificate to Pakistan," Naidu asked.

• Congress leaders say they won't let the House function till Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes to the Rajya Sabha to witness the debate on note ban.

• “Pakistani terrorists did not kill even half of our people in Uri than those who have died due to Govt's wrong policies,” Ghulam Nabi Azad hits back at BJP.

• “No matter what anybody says, this decision will not be taken back, we will not roll back demonetisation, because this decision is against black marketers, Pakistani terrorists and those betraying the country,” BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi tells Rajya Sabha.

• BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi leads Centre's charge, says his government would not roll back demonetisation of big notes at any cost.

• Upper House adjourned till 3 pm after Opposition members create ruckus in the floor again.

• Rajya Sabha resumes at 2 pm, opposition demands that Prime Minister be present for discussion on demonetisation.

• Rajya Sabha was adjourned again till 2 pm, Lok Sabha adjourned till tomorrow.

• Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House at 12.06 pm due to the ruckus created by members who were demanding a debate on demonetisation.

• "Farmers are dying in the country and on the other hand someone is celebrating a Rs 500 crore marriage,” an MP shouted in the Lok Sabha.

• As soon as Rajya Sabha resumed, members began to shout slogans against the Prime Minister, making proceeding extremely difficult. Hamid Ansari who was chairing the session was forced to adjourn the House again till 12.30 pm

• Amid growing ruckus in the House, P. J. Kurien adjourned the Upper House again till 12 pm.

• Rajya Sabha resumed at 11.30 am and members continued to protest in the House against demonetisation.

• Minister for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal spoke about illegal mining amidst ruckus in Lok Sabha as members demanded that the house debate note ban.

• Rajya Sabha speaker adjourns the house as Opposition members created a ruckus in Rajya Sabha over the note ban issue.

• Congress members trooped into the Well of the House shouting "Pradhan Mantri Jawab do" (Prime Minister, reply)." Kurien said the discussion on demonetisation was going on smoothly. "If Finance Minister is available, that is enough," he said.

• As Deputy Chairman P J Kurien allowed TMC's O'Brien to make his submission, slogan shouting AIADMK members trooped into the Well raising slogans demanding that Karnataka release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

• TMC leader Derek O Brien said his party wanted to vote on whether demonetisation should be implemented in the country.

• TMC questioned where the Prime Minister was and demanded that he attend the Rajya Sabha session. "The person who made the (demonetisation) announcement at 8 o'clock on November 8, where is he," he said.

On Day 1 of Rajya Sabha, the debate on note ban lasted for seven hours, during the course of which the opposition took on the government, saying the demonetisation move of high currency notes is "ill-conceived", and it had led to an economic anarchy in the country.

The government, however, rejected the allegation, saying the move is in the national interest, and has been hailed by the common man. The Centre asked the opposition to clear its stand on corruption.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned immediately after paying tributes to the members who passed away on Wednesday.