Rajya Sabha suspended for the day

New Delhi, Dec 20 The Rajya Sabha was Thursday suspended for the day without transacting any business after ruckus in the House over the Rafale fighter jet deal and Cauvery river issue.

Not long after the House met for the day, trademark yelling individuals from Tamil gatherings - AIADMK and DMK - trooped into the well of the House over the Cauvery issue.

Opposition Congress members also shouted slogans and held placards looking for a test by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into the buy of Rafale jets from France.

Treasury benches countered Congress members with slogans demanding an apology from Congress President Rahul Gandhi following the Supreme Court clean chit to the Rafale deal.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said all issues can be discussed and members ought to enable the House to function.

"Many issues are pending. Important bills are there. We need to talk about (demolition caused by) cyclones (in some states)," he said.

He said a notice has been given on the Rafale bargain. "We can talk about Rafale deal as well. Government has given in composing that it has no complaint to a talk on Rafale."

Besides discussions on trouble in agribusiness area and value rise are additionally slated, he said.

"The entire nation is agitated about the manner in which the House is working. The entire nation is watching," he said before deferring the procedures for the day.

Prior, Naidu said he had gone into the records after Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel had on Wednesday requested that Congress agent pioneer Anand Sharma withdraw his remarks about him.

Naidu said Sharma had on December 18, while raising a point of order, stated that Goel had looked for a statement of regret from Rahul Gandhi, who is an individual from the Lok Sabha, over the Rafale issue.

In any case, Goel had on December 19 expressed that he made no reference to Rahul Gandhi and Anand Sharma withdraw his comments, Naidu stated, adding he went through the records carefully and found that Goel had not referred to Gandhi.

"Consequently the averment made by Goel is right," he said.

Sharma said he respects the ruling of the Chair however there was a noise and hullabaloo in the House and ruling party members were standing and shouting slogans seeking apology from Gandhi.

Naidu, be that as it may, said the record is straight.

"Statement made by Goel is by all accounts right," Naidu said.