Rajya Sabha paralysed on day one of winter session

Rajya Sabha could not function on the first day of the winter session of Parliament, with issues like Foreign Direct Investment and reservation to Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes in promotions triggering an uproar that led to its adjournment for the day.

Trinamool Congress and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam raised the issue of FDI in retail when the House met at noon after the first adjournment, while Bahujan Samaj Party members rushed to the well, raising slogans and created uproar over the issue of reservation to SCs/STs in promotions.

With appeals by Deputy Chairman P J Kurien going unheeded, BSP members kept raising slogans, forcing him to adjourn the House for the day.

As Mayawati stood up, her BSP colleagues led by Brajesh Pathak raised slogans demanding a bill for reservation to SCs/STs in promotions.

At least six Trinamool Congress members also entered the well to raise the issue of FDI in retail but lodged their protest silently.

AIADMK members also raised the FDI issue from their seats -- showing photographs of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and nited StatesS President Barack Obama's togetherness on the issue.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader M Venkaiah Naidu too rose to raise some issues, but could not be heard in the din.

Earlier, when the House met for the day, it witnessed turmoil soon after it mourned the death of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray and former members, including former defence minister K C Pant, and the loss of life in cyclones in the US and Tamil Nadu and during Chhat Puja in Patna.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh introduced the ministers elevated or inducted in the recent Cabinet reshuffle.

Chairman Hamid Ansari tried to restore order but when the members remained unrelenting, he adjourned the House till noon.