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Opposition members protest in the well of the Rajya Sabha, on the first day of Parliament's Monsoon Session, in New Delhi, Monday, July 18, 2022. (Sansad TV/PTI Photo) (PTI07_18_2022_000108B)PARLIAMENT REMAINED paralysed for the second straight day on Tuesday due to protests by Opposition members who sought a discussion on the issues of price rise and hike in GST rates. In a show of unity, several Opposition parties joined a protest in the Parliament complex organised by the Congress before the House assembled.
Inside the House, there were uproarious scenes and abrupt adjournments.
In Lok Sabha, the Opposition MPs stormed the well of the House shouting slogans against the government over the price rise issue. While the Congress MPs led the protest, those from the DMK, TRS, NCP, SP and Left parties joined them.
Veteran TMC leader Saugata Roy was also among those protesting. Congress MPs held placards that showed the difference in prices of LPG cylinder, the value of Rupee against the Dollar and the unemployment rate during the UPA time and now. Despite the protests, Speaker Om Birla took up Question Hour.
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Birla took exception to the protests when the MPs refused to pay heed to his repeated requests to go back to their seats when a question on legal guarantee on MSP came up. “You should know the rules. As per rules, it is not allowed to bring placards inside the House,” he said.
“You have to follow the rules. You do not want to discuss the farmers’ issues. Outside the House you talk about the farmers and here you do not want to talk about them,” the Speaker said before adjourning House proceedings to 2 pm.
The House met again at 2 pm but could not function as the Opposition members continued their protests.
Similar scenes played out in the Rajya Sabha as well.
As the Opposition members demanded a discussion, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said, “I have received a letter from (Mallikarjun) Kharge and from some other Members giving notice under Rule 267. As those issues can be discussed during other things, I have not admitted them. On price rise and other issues, we can have discussion; I have no problem.” He then adjourned the House till 2 pm.
But there was no word from the government side.
Once the House proceedings resumed in the afternoon, Deputy Chairman Harivansh asked External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to move The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022, which he did amidst sloganeering by the Opposition MPs. The House was then adjourned till 11 am on Wednesday.
In the morning, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi led a protest at the Gandhi statue, which was attended by Opposition MPs from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Several MPs including Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, K C Venugopal, SP’s Ram Gopal Yadav, Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi and CPM’s Elamaram Kareem took part in the protest.
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