The Lok Sabha faced complete disruption on Friday due to intense protests from the Opposition, resulting in no legislative business being conducted after a few brief adjournments.
As the session began at 11 am, Speaker Om Birla quickly suspended proceedings within minutes, pushing the House into recess until noon as opposition members surged into the well of the House brandishing banners and signs.
Even when the House resumed, the protests showed no signs of abating, with opposition members vocally denouncing the Central government regarding the ongoing military tensions between India and China in eastern Ladakh that ignited back in 2020.
During this turmoil, TDP MP Krishna Prasad Tenneti, who was overseeing the proceedings, permitted ministers to present documents. However, as the uproar continued, he ultimately had to adjourn the House for the day. Concurrently, opposition MPs protested against the proposed trade agreement between India and the United States right at the main entrance of the Parliament building, holding a banner that labeled it a “trap deal.”
Prominent Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra lent her voice to the dissent, criticizing the actions of the Central government.
The disruptive chanting stemmed from Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s earlier remarks targeting Prime Minister Modi's speech in the Rajya Sabha, where he stated, "Do what you find appropriate." The protests have been ongoing since February 2, following an incident where Rahul Gandhi was barred from quoting sections of a memoir written by former Army Chief General MM Naravane, which was featured in a news magazine. Speaker Om Birla intervened, halting his reading based on rules 349 and 353.
