New Delhi [India], August 13 (ANI): The Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die soon after the commencement of the final day of the Monsoon Session following the traditional playing of Vande Mataram. The adjournment came amid persistent Opposition protests, and heavy sloganeering disrupted the House.
The conclusion of the session came amid intense political friction, marked by high-voltage counter-protests between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Opposition MPs at the Makar Dwar steps within the Parliament complex.
The BJP protested against Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi over the Congress party's lack of acknowledgement regarding the ongoing protests in Jharkhand
That was followed by controversial sloganeering by opposition MPs, led by Congress MP Pawan Khera, who were seen protesting with a toy monkey and sloganeering, "56 inch ka chhota bandar, jaldi aao sadan ke andar."
Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi accused the ruling party of intentionally stalling parliamentary proceedings.
"It is the ruling party itself that is preventing Parliament from functioning. What is the opposition's demand? That the Home Minister come to the House and make a statement, and that the Prime Minister come and provide answers. Naturally, the opposition will make such demands of the ruling party. But what is the ruling party demanding? They insist that Rahul Gandhi come to the House, yet Rahul Gandhi has been attending the House every day. Why didn't the Home Minister or the Prime Minister show up when the debate on the Public Examinations Amendment Act was taking place? That was an issue concerning the future of the country's students...They ask us to write to the Speaker specifying the topics for discussion, and we are ready to do so. We have raised this matter countless times in Business Advisory Committee meetings," HE SAID.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that the Opposition does not want to listen and there is no point in moving ahead without a discussion.
"The Lok Sabha is a forum for discussion. There is no point in proceeding without discussion. it seems that they (opposition parties) don't want to listen either. Things have gone even further than that. The Lok Sabha won't function merely according to its whims. It is a platform for representatives from across the country; it does not belong to any single individual," he said.
BJP MP Madan Rathore criticised LoP Rahul Gandhi, saying that he keeps on shifting his stance on critical issues and constantly changes demands.
Mocking Gandhi, he said, "Rahul Gandhi keeps changing his stance. Every time, he shifts the topic, changes his demands, and alters his conditions. After all, he is fifty-six years old now. He should stop acting childishly and conduct himself with seriousness; he is the Leader of the Opposition in India. Yet, he calls the media, the fourth pillar of democracy, 'rats.' What kind of behaviour is that? How much further will Rahul Gandhi insult the media? I believe it is an insult to the fourth pillar of democracy itself."
This Monsoon Session witnessed back-to-back disruptions within the House and the Parliament complex as the ruling BJP and the Opposition remained locked in an unrelenting political standoff over key legislative, economic, and regional issues. (ANI)
Monsoon Session: Lok Sabha adjourned sine die amid BJP-Oppn protests, heavy sloganeering
