New Delhi, Dec 14 (PTI): The Lok Sabha was adjourned briefly on Monday amid vociferous protests by the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party over various issues, including the exclusion of Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy from an event in his state to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan rejected nearly ten notices for adjournment motion that were given by members from Congress, AAP and Left parties.

As the Question Hour began, Congress and AAP members trooped into the Well of the House holding placards and shouting slogans against the government.

Chandy, who heads the Congress-led government in Kerala, was asked to skip the event allegedly at the behest of the BJP. Chandy was first invited and then asked to stay away from the function, at Kollam.

But, in Kollam, an official of the oganisation that is hosting the function said the BJP had no hand in excluding Chandy from the guest list.

Vellappally Natesan, the general secretary of Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam, which is an ally of the BJP, said he took full responsibility for the decision.

”There has been no pressure from the BJP or anyone else to prevent the Chief Minister from attending the function”, Natesan said. 

The SNDP, an outfit of the backward Ezhava community, is organising the unveiling of the statue of former chief minister R. Sankar.

The Congress members also protested the killing of a Dalit girl in Punjab, while the AAP members protested the manner in which Indian Railways had cleared encroachments at Shakurbasti in Delhi.