Opposition leaders hold protest march over abrupt ending of Parliament session

A day after the Monsoon session ended abruptly, the Parliament campus, on Thursday, August 12, witnessed a protest march against the Union government, taken out by leaders of several opposition parties. They protested on several issues, including the Pegasus row, the controversial farm laws and the alleged manhandling of their MPs in Rajya Sabha. While the Monsoon session was scheduled to end on August 13, the Lok Sabha was adjourned indefinitely on August 11.

The protesting MPs carried placards and banners against the Union government, with reading 'Stop murder of democracy' and 'we demand Repeal of anti farmers laws.' "The Parliament session is over. Frankly, as far as 60% of the country is concerned, there has been no Parliament session because the voice of 60% of this country has been crushed, humiliated and yesterday in the Rajya Sabha (the MPs were) physically beaten," said Rahul Gandhi. He said the opposition was not allowed to speak inside Parliament and "this is nothing short of murder of democracy."

The protest comes a day after the passage of bills in Rajya Sabha amid charges of manhandling of opposition leaders, including some female MPs. Top leaders of several opposition parties met in the chamber of Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and then walked in protest from Parliament House to Vijay Chowk. Those who attended the meeting included Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, Kharge, Sanjay Raut, Tiruchi Siva, Manoj Jha and other opposition leaders.

They met Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and complained against the alleged heckling of MPs including some women. "For the first time in Rajya Sabha MPs were beaten up, after bringing people from outside," he alleged and added that "It is the Chairman's and Speaker's responsibility to run the House." Some Union ministers also met Naidu and complained against the alleged unruly behaviour of some opposition members in the House on Wednesday.

Rahul Gandhi said the opposition raised the issue of Pegasus, farmers' issues and price rise but were not allowed to speak inside Parliament. "This is nothing short of the murder of democracy in this country," he remarked.

Rahul Gandhi also accused the Prime Minister of "selling the country to big businessmen."

"Who is stopping the opposition in the House. India's Prime Minister is doing the work of selling this country. He is selling the soul of India to two-three industrialists and that is why the opposition is not allowed to speak inside Parliament," Gandhi alleged.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut alleged that no Parliament session was held as the opposition was not allowed to raise issues of public importance. "The way people were brought and deployed as marshals in Rajya Sabha. I felt like marshal law was imposed and I felt like I was standing at Pakistan border as I was stopped from going inside," Raut said.

DMK MP Tiruchi Siva said one has never witnessed such behaviour in Parliament in more than two decades.

NCP leader Praful Patel said his leader Sharad Pawar has stated that he has never seen such shameful incidents in Parliament in his long political career.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had termed the opposition's allegations that marshals manhandled their MPs as "totally false" and said one can check facts from CCTV footage. On Thursday, August 18, the Union government released a part of the CCTV footage from the Parliament, showing the scuffle in the well of the house. The MPs could be seen jostling the marshalls, while the MPs also could be seen being manhandled by the marshalls. 

#WATCH CCTV footage of ruckus by Opposition MPs in Parliament on 11th August pic.twitter.com/S3kvCp1gTz

— ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2021

On Wednesday, August 11, the tumultuous Monsoon session of Parliament was curtailed by two days even as Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu broke down over the huge ruckus in the House, and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla saying he was "extremely hurt" by continuous disruptions.