New Delhi, Feb 4 (UNI) Lok Sabha proceedings on Wednesday were repeatedly disrupted by vociferous protests from Opposition members over the suspension of eight MPs, leading to adjournments first till 12 noon, then 2 pm, and yet again till 5 pm, underscoring escalating tensions during the Budget session.
As the House convened, Opposition MPs raised slogans and attempted to bring up various issues, leading to disorder preventing normal functioning of the House. Speaker Om Birla appealed for decorum, urging members to allow the question hour to proceed.
Despite permitting one question and its supplementaries during a brief five-minute question hour, the sustained uproar forced the Speaker to adjourn the House multiple times.
The protests trace back to an incident on Monday afternoon when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was barred from quoting an article referencing an unpublished memoir of former Army Chief MM Naravane on the 2020 India-China conflict. The next day, eight Opposition MPs — seven from Congress and one from the CPI(M) — were suspended for the remainder of the Budget session due to unruly behaviour.
The suspended MPs are Hibi Eden, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Manickam Tagore, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Prashant Yadaorao Padole, Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, Dean Kuriakose (all Congress), and S Venkatesan (CPI-M).
Outside, in the Parliament House complex, they protested holding placards accusing the Prime Minister of being “compromised,” echoing Rahul Gandhi’s earlier statement during media interactions on the India-US trade agreement.
Addressing the situation, Samajwadi Party MP Anand Bhadauria defended Rahul Gandhi’s stance, stating, “He represents the voice of people who voted against the BJP.” Bhadauria accused the ruling party of attempting to silence the Opposition by fomenting disruptions whenever national security matters are raised in the House.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to respond later in the day to the motion of thanks to the President’s address, the key item on the agenda amid the ongoing turmoil.
The repeated adjournments and sustained protests highlight deepening political rifts in Parliament during a crucial session, raising concerns over the functioning and decorum of the democratic institution.
