Disruptions in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday escalated to such an extent that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled reply to the Vote of Thanks on the President’s address had to be cancelled.
The turmoil began early in the day, with the Opposition launching sustained protests after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was reportedly not permitted to quote from the unpublished memoirs of former Army chief M.M. Naravane during his speech.
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Repeated adjournments followed as members from Opposition benches continued to raise objections, preventing the House from functioning normally. Tensions peaked around 5 pm, shortly before the Prime Minister was expected to address the Lok Sabha.
At that time, several women MPs from the Opposition, including Varsha Gaikwad and Jyotimani, moved into the well of the House and blocked the chairs of ruling party members, including the seat earmarked for Prime Minister Modi. The MPs also displayed a large banner reading, “Do what is right”.
The protest was aimed at opposing the suspension of eight Opposition MPs a day earlier, which the Opposition has described as unjust and politically motivated.
With order failing to be restored, Sandhya Rai, who was presiding over the House in the absence of the Speaker, announced another adjournment.
The women MPs vacated the area only after multiple ministers intervened and urged them to return to their seats. However, by then, the prolonged disruption had already forced the cancellation of the Prime Minister’s reply, marking yet another turbulent day in the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
