Government, Opposition agree to discuss farmers’ protest in RS

The farmer protests will be discussed for 15 hours in parliament, the government agreed today in a breakthrough in its talks with the opposition. The discussion will take place in the Rajya Sabha, where Question Hour has been suspended for two days.

But the truce was short-lived as the upper house erupted in protests soon after Chairman Venkaiah Naidu announced that the discussion would take place after the debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s address to the joint sitting last Friday.

Three members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) kept shouting slogans until they were ordered to leave the House for the day. The disruptions forced the first adjournment of the day.

Over 16 opposition parties had demanded a five-hour standalone discussion on the farmer protests, which the government agreed to increase to 15.

Pralhad Joshi, the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, made the announcement after agreeing to the opposition’s demand.