LS adjourned for day as opposition, govt lock horns over Rahul Gandhi's remarks
2 min read . Updated: 16 Mar 2023, 03:13 PM IST
Premium- The House reconvened at 2 PM, with Rahul Gandhi present for the first time since the controversy around his remarks in the UK broke out.
The Lok Sabha proceedings lasted only three minutes on Thursday and the House was adjourned due to a deadlock between the Opposition and the ruling party over Rahul Gandhi's remarks on democracy and the demand for a parliamentary committee probe into the Adani issue.
The House reconvened at 2 PM, with Rahul Gandhi present for the first time since the controversy around his remarks in the UK broke out. Despite the chair's request for a debate and an end to sloganeering, both sides continued to shout slogans, and the House was adjourned just one minute after it reconvened.
The Lok Sabha witnessed political uproar as members of the Bharatiya Janata Party from West Bengal protested against the Trinamool Congress over the state's school recruitment scam.
Meanwhile, other BJP members demanded an apology from Gandhi for his comments made in London. Congress members also raised slogans but were unable to make themselves heard amidst the chaos.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla appealed to the members to let the House function smoothly.
"I want to run the House, I want to give you enough opportunities and time to speak. You have to go to your seats. You come to the well and then go outside and tell that you don't get a chance to speak. This is not right," he said.
"You come to the Well and also demand discussion. You don't want me to run the House. You do not want any discussion, you do not want any debate on the Budget. You just want to shout slogans. Parliament has dignity and we all have to maintain dignity," he said.
The Lok Sabha has been unable to conduct significant business since the second leg of the Budget session began. The demand for grants of various ministries and the budget for Jammu and Kashmir have been listed for discussion.
Meanwhile, during his interactions in the UK, former Congress president Gandhi alleged that Indian democracy's structures are under attack, and the country's institutions are facing a "full-scale assault."
He also claimed that microphones are often turned off in Lok Sabha when important issues are raised by opposition members.
These remarks have sparked a political war, with the BJP accusing Gandhi of maligning India on foreign soil and seeking foreign intervention, while the Congress retaliated by citing instances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi raising internal politics abroad. Despite this, Lok Sabha Speaker urged members to maintain dignity and allow the House to function.