Parliament postponed for the day Tuesday afternoon – until 11 a.m. tomorrow – amid a continuing standoff between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress over Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed protests for the second day in a row; the BJP is insisting Gandhi issue a public apology for remarks made at a Cambridge University speech and events in London, while the Congress claims the BJP insulted Parliament and needed to apologise.
The commotion and chaos that has engulfed India’s Parliament this week, as the government and opposition snipe and squabble over the Adani-Hindenburg controversy and Gandhi’s remarks, forced an identical adjournment Monday, the first day of the budget session’s resumption.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal resumed where he and his colleagues left off yesterday in the Rajya Sabha, declaring, “Yesterday (Monday), we had raised a very important issue… the manner in which India was insulted and its institutions, including the Parliament, were insulted.”
“Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha are members of Parliament who have been insulted. This is, I believe, the first time the entire Parliament has been insulted.”
“Constitutional provisions say we should all condemn such behaviour and the person involved should apologise,” the BJP leader – who did not name Gandhi – continued amid the din, adding, “The entire world is watching… how will India respond to this serious issue?”
The opposition responded by demanding a JPC (joint parliamentary committee) investigation into the Adani-Hindenburg dispute, and the ensuing chaos forced an adjournment until 2 p.m.
Later on in the day, Congressman Shaktisinh Gohil filed a breach of privilege complaint against Goyal, who is also the House Leader, for breaking house rules by making accusations against a fellow member.
There was also chaos in the Lok Sabha, and Speaker Om Birla was forced to adjourn until 2 p.m.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Lower House leader of the Congress, lashed out at the government, declaring that it was they who needed to apologise for insulting Parliament.
He continued, “This government does not want to run the Parliament. Has it ever been seen that the entire membership of a party in power raises a commotion in order to stop the Parliament? What is the point of Rahul Gandhi apologising? Instead, they (the government) should apologise,” he told ANI.
On Monday, Rajnath Singh, the defence minister, launched the BJP’s attack by asking Gandhi to apologise; he said, “In London, Rahul Gandhi, a member of this House, insulted India. I demand that his remarks be condemned…”
Shashi Tharoor defended Gandhi, saying the BJP had ‘distorted’ his remarks. The Congress MP said Gandhi had no reason to apologise.
Gandhi spoke at private events in the UK, including one in Cambridge, where he discussed the border standoff with China and the Pegasus spyware controversy.
Gandhi also stated that other opposition leaders were not permitted to speak in Parliament, which he previously stated in an interview with an Italian daily.
