With Cong MPs out on protest, DMK’s staging walkout, Lok Sabha functions

The Lok Sabha also took up the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill for consideration and passing.

The day started on a stormy note as the Congress MPs turning up in black shirts, kurtas and bands on their sleeves, staged a noisy protest inside the Lok Sabha, along with members from the DMK, NCP and Left parties, resulting in an abrupt adjournment of the proceedings.

While Congress president Sonia Gandhi was seen wearing a black blouse, Rahul Gandhi was in a black shirt, some were in black ‘kurtas’ and others had wrapped black cloth around their shoulders, besides sporting black bands.

Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi outside Parliament. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)

As soon as the House met at 11am, Speaker Om Birla made obituary references for former MP Bhim Prasad Dahal. He also marked the 77th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 and paid tributes to those who lost their lives in the two Japanese cities. Immediately after the House observed a minute’s silence, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury got up to speak, but the Speaker did not allow him. The Congress, along with MPs of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), then entered the well of the House, demanding “justice”. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) members joined the noisy protests by clapping their hands.

Senior opposition leaders Dayanidhi Maran, M Kanimozhi, Supriya Sule, Shashi Tharoor and Manish Tewari joined the protest.
The Speaker then took up the Question Hour, but the sloganeering continued. Visibly angry, Birla reiterated that the MPs should return to their seats and that they could raise the issue during the Zero Hour. “This is not right. You can’t shout slogans. It is hurting the dignity of the House. The world is watching you,” Birla said. But the Opposition MPs only shouted louder, prompting the Speaker to adjourn the proceedings till noon.

After the House was adjourned, Congress MPs led by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi took out a protest march towards Rashtrapati Bhavan, raising slogans against price rise. Some of the MPs wore garlands made of green vegetables and empty packets of dairy products outside the House. When Sonia Gandhi said she would also walk in protest to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Rahul Gandhi stopped her insisting that she should go back to Parliament House. Other MPs took out the march.

At 12 noon, DMK members present in the House asked the Speaker to allow their leader T R Baalu to speak, but the Chair took up the legislative business before allowing the Zero Hour. The Chair, however, asked Union Minister Kiren Rijiju to introduce a Bill in the House, urging the DMK members to take their seats. As the DMK members refused to relent and continued seeking his attention, the Chair asked the Law minister to go ahead with the introduction of the Bill, saying, “Only that will go on record what the Minister (Rijiju) says”. Rijiju introduced the Bill to amend the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Act, 2019.

Baalu was heard saying that the Opposition has been trying to raise the issue of “misuse” of the central investigating agencies against the Opposition but was not allowed. In protest, the DMK members staged a walkout.

The Competition (Amendment) Bill, which seeks structural changes in the governing structure of the Competition Commission of India (CCI), was also introduced. Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Rao Inderjit Singh introduced the Bill, seeking substantive provisions to allow the CCI to address the needs of new-age markets. The CCI has in recent times ordered probes as well as passed various orders with respect to the alleged unfair business practices in the growing digital market.

The Monsoon session, which began on July 18 and is scheduled to end on August 12, has been rocked by protests from the Opposition on a range of issues, including price rise and the action of the central probe agencies against the Opposition leaders.