New Delhi, Feb 5 (.) In a dramatic turn of events on Thursday in the Rajya Sabha, members of several opposition parties staged a walkout after Leader of Opposition (LoP) Mallikarjun Kharge was prevented from quoting unpublished excerpts from General MM Naravane’s book on the 2020 India-China conflict. The incident highlighted deepening tensions between the ruling party and opposition in the Upper House.
The disruption occurred soon after the laying of papers in the House, when the Chair called upon a member to raise a Zero Hour mention. Congress members quickly demanded that Kharge be allowed to speak first. However, when Kharge attempted to cite material from General Naravane’s yet-to-be-published book, members from the Treasury benches opposed the move, triggering a heated uproar.
Amid the escalating protests, opposition parties including Congress, Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Communist Party of India, and Communist Party of India-Marxist walked out in protest, underscoring their displeasure with what they called a “denial of democratic rights.”
A Congress member argued, “The Leader of Opposition has every right to quote credible sources to substantiate his points. Preventing him from doing so is an attempt to suppress critical discourse.”
The walkout in the Rajya Sabha came on a day when the Lok Sabha conducted its own political turbulence. The Motion of Thanks to the President’s address was passed without Prime Minister Narendra Modi responding to the debate. Opposition members had persistently protested, demanding that Rahul Gandhi be allowed to speak in response to the President’s address, but their efforts were repeatedly thwarted by adjournments and disruptions.
Opposition leaders condemned the government’s handling of parliamentary proceedings, describing the refusal to allow Rahul Gandhi to speak as “a serious violation of parliamentary convention.”
A senior Congress leader remarked, “It is unprecedented for the Motion of Thanks to be adopted without the Prime Minister’s customary reply. This is a clear attempt to stifle the voice of the opposition and avoid accountability on pressing national issues.”
Sources indicate that Prime Minister Modi is expected to reply to the Motion of Thanks in the Rajya Sabha later today, where the discussion had concluded without similar disruptions.
Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha is likely to commence discussion on the union Budget today, though uncertainty remains given the ongoing standoff and strained relations between the government and opposition parties.
The recent parliamentary disruptions reflect the growing polarisation and challenges in managing legislative business in India’s democracy. Analysts note that such confrontations, while not new, are raising concerns about the health of parliamentary norms and the space for constructive debate in the country’s highest legislative bodies. . SKA KK