The Rajya Sabha had an uneasy week over Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC) published on Monday, which left out over 40 lakh residents, while the Lok Sabha dispensed with the issue on the first day of the week, with a walk-out by the Opposition.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan rejected a Trinamul Congress notice for adjournment of business to discuss the NRC. Sudip Bandyopadhyay of the party said it was mental torture for those left out.

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The Centre should intervene, he said, and asked “what about other states?” Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge supported him and asked Home Minister Rajnath Singh to act fast. Mohd Salim (CPI-M) said people could not be denied their human and constitutional rights.

The Home Minister responded that his government had not done anything new; there were already tribunals engaged in the identification of foreigners, and the whole process was under the supervision of the Supreme Court.

As Singh said the NRC was not final yet, and the issue should not be politicised, the agitated members staged a walk-out. Other than this, the Lok Sabha had a busy week passing several Bills, like the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill, The National Sports University Bill, and the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018, providing death penalty for rape of girls below 12 years of age.

The Rajya Sabha, on the other hand, was stuck on the NRC most of the week. The House witnessed quick adjournments as Trinamul Congress members entered the well of the House, and even shouted slogans. On the first day there were three adjournments, before the final one shortly after lunch.

There was no Zero Hour or Question Hour. As the Home Minister was present, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu was ready for a discussion. The Trinamul Congress members, however, wanted the Prime Minister to come and respond. Naidu told party leader Derek O’Brien that the matter could be discussed on Tuesday.

The next day, in a rare occurrence, the Question Hour was dispensed with to discuss the NRC issue. Nineteen members spoke but BJP president Amit Shah, who was the 19th speaker, was not allowed to finish.

Shah said the NRC was the soul of the Assam Accord signed by Congress PM Rajiv Gandhi, and the Modi Government was only implementing the Accord. By “objecting,” was the Opposition trying to protect Bangladesh infiltrators, he asked.

This triggered protests and the House was adjourned for 10 minutes. When the House reassembled, it was 1.10 p.m., and the Chair wanted Shah to resume. He however was forced to adjourn for the day, saying that the Trinamul Congress, it seemed, had come “prepared” not to let the House work normally.

On Wednesday, the House had a normal Question Hour but witnessed Trinamul Congress protests after lunch. Shah said he was giving up his unfinished speech so that the Home Minister could reply. But the Trinamul members shouted that the Prime Minister should come.

The Chairman said “this is unbecoming of the members.” The next day, again, the Question Hour was normal ~ presided over by Vice-Chairperson Kahkashan Perween, a first time member, ~ but post lunch break, the Trinamul Congress wanted the Home Minister to come and respond.

The Chairman wondered at the Trinamul Congress tactics – when the Home Minister was present for three days, the party wanted the PM’s presence, and now the Home Minister was not present, it wanted to hear him. Still, he agreed to talk to the Minister, who finally replied on Friday morning, summing up the NRC was a draft, there should be no panic spread, and that there would be no coercive action.

The Chairman asked members to cooperate in the proper conduct of the House, reminding them there were around 24 Bills pending before the House.

At the week-end, on Friday, the members agreed, albeit while discussing Naresh Gujral’s private Bill, that the House must sit for at least 100 days in a year, and the hours lost due to early adjournments, should be added to the session’s duration.