For the second consecutive day, the Treasury benches demanded an apology from the Congress leader, while the Opposition held placards of Modi’s quotes from his foreign visits in protest and called for a JPC probe into the Adani Group controversy; both Houses were adjourned over disruptions.
For the second consecutive day on Tuesday, both Houses of Parliament were disrupted over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remarks in London that Indian democracy is in peril.
While the Treasury benches demanded an apology from Mr. Gandhi, the Opposition hit back and demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) investigation on the Adani Group-Hindenburg Research issue.
As soon as the Lok Sabha assembled for the day, BJP MPs began raising slogans demanding an apology from Mr. Gandhi, while the Congress-led Opposition waved placards demanding a JPC on the Adani issue. “Rahul Gandhi maafi maango (Rahul Gandhi apologise),” the BJP members shouted repeatedly from their seats.
The Opposition remained in the aisle and waved placards with their JPC demand. Some of the placards featured quotes from speeches made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visits abroad.
“Pata nahi pehle janam main kya paap kiya tha, Hindustan main paida hua (don’t know what sin I had committed that I was born in India),” read a placard, quoting the Prime Minister’s speech in Seoul in May 2015.
At this, Speaker Om Birla asked the Opposition not to show placards and let the House function. He also tried to take up the Question Hour.
After the resumption of the Lok Sabha at 2 p.m., papers and standing committee reports were presented amid sloganeering and the House was adjourned for the day in seven minutes.
Similar scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha. Leader of the House and Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal reiterated his position that the House should condemn the speech allegedly tarnishing the country’s image by “one Opposition leader”.
The Opposition questioned this and its members rushed to the Well of the House. They demanded a discussion on the Adani Group controversy following the Hindenburg Research report. They also urged Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar to consider a notice for Privilege Motion moved by senior Congress MP Shaktisinh Gohil against Mr. Goyal.
The Oppositeion also asked Mr. Dhankhar what decision he had taken on various adjournment motions they had moved. Mr. Dhankhar said he would not allow them.
He rejected Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP P. Wilson’s adjournment motion against the delay by the Tamil Nadu Governor in signing certain Bills passed by the State Assembly. Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Binoy Viswam’s motion for a discussion on post-poll violence in Tripura was also rejected.
Even as the session began, members of the Treasury benches were on their feet, shouting slogans and demanding an apology from Mr. Gandhi, drowning out the voice of Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, who rose to move Supplementary Demands for Grants to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in 2022-23.
The Upper House was adjourned In less than 15 minutes after reconvening post lunch.
