RS adjourned till 12 p.m. following ruckus over Goa issue

New Delhi [India], March 17 (ANI): The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 12 p.m. on Friday following uproar after Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh raised the issue of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forming government in Goa despite not having majority. The Congress raised slogan of 'loktantra ki hatya band karo, band karo' (stop the murder of democracy) in the Upper House. "The Governor's conduct can only be discussed on the basis of a substantive motion," said Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien. Replying to Singh, Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the BJP is ready to discuss the issue if the Congress Party brings substantive motion on the same. Earlier on Thursday, former defence minister and newly-appointed Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar established victory in the Goa Assembly as 22 MLAs stood in his support. 16 MLAs opposed Parrikar's candidature as the Chief Minister, while one MLA was absent. The Supreme Court had ordered a floor test as the Congress challenged his appointment, citing Goa Governor Mridula Sinha did not follow the procedure as dictated by the Constitution. Despite the BJP ending up second behind the Congress in a split mandate, Parrikar had claimed the support of 22 legislators, two more than the halfway mark in the 40-member Assembly. The Congress won 17 seats but was not able to prove majority. (ANI)