Rajya Sabha Adjourned Over Missing Cabinet Ministers

Rajya Sabha witnessed unexpected drama on Friday when the House was adjourned for 10 minutes after it was discovered that no Cabinet Minister was present during proceedings. The incident occurred shortly after members paid homage to the security personnel who laid down their lives during the December 13, 2001 Parliament attack. The absence of senior ministers immediately triggered strong objections from Opposition benches.

Chairman C P Radhakrishnan acknowledged the lapse and assured members that he would take up the issue with the government. He requested a junior minister present in the House to urgently communicate the need for a Cabinet minister’s presence. Radhakrishnan stated that he was fully aware of parliamentary procedures and emphasized that representation from the Union Cabinet was essential for the functioning of the Upper House.

Opposition leaders, however, were not placated by the Chairman’s assurances. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh insisted that the proceedings be suspended until a Cabinet minister arrived, calling the situation "an insult to the House." As tensions continued to rise and no senior minister appeared immediately, Radhakrishnan adjourned the session for 10 minutes after a brief wait.

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When the House reconvened, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju addressed the members and expressed regret for the absence of Cabinet ministers during the earlier proceedings. He explained that he had been required in the Lok Sabha to participate in the condolence references for former Speaker and former Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who had recently passed away. Rijiju added that Leader of the House J P Nadda was also in the Lok Sabha for Question Hour items listed in his name.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari pointed out that the late Shivraj Patil had also been a Rajya Sabha member, and therefore, the Upper House should also mourn his passing. Responding to this, Rijiju clarified that the Rajya Sabha Secretariat was already working on the necessary procedures and that Patil’s death would indeed be formally condoled in the House.

Following the explanations, normalcy returned, and several Cabinet ministers—including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman—were present when the House resumed operations. The incident, however, rekindled debates over ministerial accountability and the importance of maintaining full representation during parliamentary proceedings.

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