Opposition protests absence of Ministers in Rajya Sabha, leads to adjournment

Rajya Sabha proceedings on Friday (December 12, 2025) were adjourned for 10 minutes after the Opposition objected to the absence of Cabinet Ministers during the proceedings, which they said was an “insult” to the House.

Soon after the House paid tributes to those who had lost their lives during the December 13, 2001 terrorist attack on Parliament, the Opposition MPs pointed out that none of the Cabinet Ministers were present in the House.

Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan said he will take it up with the government and asked a junior Minister to request the presence of a Cabinet Minister in the House. “I understand the procedure. I have requested the Minister. One of the Cabinet Ministers should come,” he said.

Opposition MPs, however, were not satisfied. They insisted that House proceedings be adjourned till a Cabinet Minister was present. “This is an insult to the House. You have to adjourn the House till the Cabinet Minister comes,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said.

After waiting for about five minutes, Mr. Radhakrishnan adjourned the proceedings for 10 minutes.

When the House reassembled after the brief adjournment, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju expressed regret for the absence of Ministers from the House. Besides Mr. Rijiju and Leader of the House J.P. Nadda, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was among the Ministers present when members reassembled. Mr. Rijiju said he had to be in the Lok Sabha to mourn the death of former Speaker and former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil. Mr. Nadda said he had questions marked in his name in the Lower House, and so he too was away. “I regret that a Cabinet Minister was not there,” he added. The Opposition pointed out that Patil was also a former member of the Rajya Sabha, and the House should mourn his death as well.  

Later, just minutes before noon, the House paid tributes to the former Union Home Minister, who was a member of the Upper House from 2004 to 2010. Mr. Radhakrishnan said the country had lost a respected parliamentarian and an able administrator. He also described the former Home Minister as a “dignified and soft-spoken statesman” who was widely respected for his deep understanding of parliamentary procedure.  “The country has lost an experienced statesman, an able administrator and a respected parliamentarian. We deeply mourn the passing away of Shri Shivraj Patilji,” Mr. Radhakrishnan said. Members observed silence for two minutes as a mark of respect to the memory of the departed leader.