Thursday, August 3 2006 17:17 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice today (Aug 3, 2006) with the opposition refusing to let the house function, alleging that the 'goalposts' of the India-US nuclear deal had been altered to New Delhi's disadvantage.

When the house assembled, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj (BJP) got up to ask if the government proposed to move a resolution expressing the sentiment of the house on the issue.

This led to pandemonium, which chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat tried in vain to control.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was in the house, watched impassively as the din continued.

Shekhawat then adjourned the house till 12 noon.

The pandemonium continued when the house reassembled for zero hour, forcing Shekhawat to adjourn the house till 2 p.m.

The issue has been on the boil for the last couple of days in the house. While the BJP has been trying to raise the India-US nuclear deal, the brouhaha over its leader Jaswant Singh's allegations of an alleged mole has overshadowed everything else.