New Delhi, July 21 (IANS) Proceedings in both Houses of Parliament were disrupted for the second consecutive day of the Monsoon Session as Opposition members staged protests over the alleged NEET paper leak, police action against students in the national capital, and the alleged theft of donations meant for the Ram Temple.
The repeated protests led to multiple adjournments in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. As a result, normal business could not be conducted in Parliament.
In the Lok Sabha, members of the Opposition began raising slogans as soon as the House assembled for Question Hour. What the Opposition was insisting on was an immediate discussion on the alleged examination irregularities apart from the police crackdown on students protesting the education system.
Speaker Om Birla assured MPs that they would be given an opportunity to raise their concerns. He, however, added that they would be allowed to raise their points according to parliamentary rules. However, the protests continued, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House twice before finally adjourning it for the day at 2 p.m. Despite the disruptions, ministers managed to table official parliamentary documents.
In the Rajya Sabha, similar scenes were witnessed. The House was adjourned within minutes of convening after Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge attempted to raise the issue of police action against protesting students. Counter-slogans were raised by the ruling party side. This led Chairman C. P. Radhakrishnan to adjourn the House. Subsequent sittings at noon and after lunch also witnessed persistent protests, prompting Deputy Chairman Harivansh to adjourn the House for the remainder of the day.
Earlier, a delegation of Opposition MPs from both Houses, led by Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, met Speaker Om Birla to demand a detailed discussion on the alleged police brutality against students.
After the meeting, Gandhi stated that Parliament must address issues affecting the country’s youth and accused the government of failing to ensure accountability over the examination crisis. He also claimed that the Speaker had indicated that permission from the government was required to hold such a discussion.
Before the day’s proceedings, leaders of the INDIA bloc met in the chamber of Rajya Sabha Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to formulate their strategy. The meeting was attended by senior leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh, K. C. Venugopal, Supriya Sule, Sanjay Raut, Dharmendra Yadav, Mahua Maji, John Brittas, and P. Santhosh Kumar.
With both Houses repeatedly adjourned amid continuous protests, legislative business remained stalled. According to analysts, the development on Monday and Tuesday highlighted the deep political confrontation between the Opposition and the government during the Monsoon Session.
–IANS
brt/uk
