New Delhi, February 2 (UN) The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 4 pm after having earlier been adjourned till 3 pm on Monday.

The first adjournment was announced after a statement by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, which was overruled by Speaker Om Birla.

During his speech, Gandhi attempted to refer to the contents of an unpublished book written by a former Army Chief. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh strongly objected to references to the book, stating that it was against parliamentary rules to cite a magazine or an unpublished book in the House. He alleged that the Leader of the Opposition was attempting to mislead the House by referring to an unpublished work.

This led to a heated exchange between members of the ruling party and the opposition. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla intervened and, citing the rules of the House, ruled that no member could present arguments based on newspaper clippings, magazines, or content published in books.

Home Minister Amit Shah and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju supported the Defence Minister’s objection, stating that the Leader of the Opposition had no right to raise an issue in the House based on a magazine. As members from both sides cited parliamentary rules, the Speaker clarified that his ruling was strictly in accordance with the rules and must be followed by all members.

While affirming that the Leader of the Opposition had the right to speak, Shah stressed that once the Speaker had given a ruling, it must be respected, and members could not quote the writings of others in violation of House rules.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju too said that once the Speaker had given a ruling, it was incumbent upon the Leader of the Opposition to abide by it. He emphasized that Parliament functions according to established rules, and persistent refusal to follow the Speaker’s rulings would make it difficult to enforce discipline, especially among new members. He urged the Speaker to ensure clarity on how the House should function.

Despite repeated objections by the Defence Minister, Gandhi continued to refer to the same issue, escalating the disruption in the House. The Speaker then restrained him and stated that no member had the right to disrespect the Chair.

He warned the Leader of the Opposition to adhere to the ruling, adding that the House could not function if members acted arbitrarily. He also said that if the ruling was not followed, another member would be given the opportunity to speak, and he called out the name of Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav.

Gandhi later said that he would not have raised the issue had BJP leader Tejasvi Surya not questioned his party’s patriotism earlier during the discussion. He said that since Congress’s patriotism had been questioned, he was compelled to respond.

This further intensified the uproar by Congress and other opposition members.

Members of the ruling party urged the Speaker not to allow any member to speak in violation of the rules. As the disorder continued to escalate, the Speaker adjourned the House. . . JRC KK