NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha saw little business being transacted apart from question hour, due to the absence of Ministers slated to introduce two Bills and a restive Bharatiya Janata Party-led Opposition, which crossed swords on several issues with members of the Left parties, Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

Trouble started as soon as Kapila Vatsyayan (nominated) had finished taking oath as member of the House. The BJP and SP members began trading charges on the Gujarat "encounter" deaths but House Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat brought proceedings on track.

Ministers absent

After question hour ended and papers were tabled in the House, Mr. Shekhawat called for Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T.R. Baalu to introduce a Bill to amend the Seamen's Provident Fund Act, 1966. Not finding him in the House (he was in the Lok Sabha), Mr. Shekhawat then called for the Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh to introduce a Bill to regulate education and prevent its commercialisation by foreign educational institutions intending to provide higher education in India.

With Mr. Singh also not being present in the House, the Railway Appropriations Bill was next on the agenda but the sole listed speaker was absent leading to the legislation being returned as passed to the Lok Sabha within minutes.

As the Chairman attempted to move to the next item, Sushma Swaraj (BJP) raised the issue of Lashkar-e-Taiba activists unfurling their flag during a rally in Jammu & Kashmir. While Congress members were countering the BJP's protests, Brinda Karat (CPI-M), Shahid Siddiqui (SP) and Ram Deo Bhandary (RJD) began speaking on the Gujarat "encounter" episode.

Mr. Shekhawat immediately adjourned the House till after lunch. Both the issues, to which the Nandigram firing was also added, were again raised leading to the House being adjourned for the day.

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