Adjournments continue to plague Lok Sabha in stop-start Winter Session

The Lok Sabha returned to normal functioning by running Question Hour and passing a Bill before plunging again into chaos over remarks by a Trinamool Congress MP.

New Delhi: After four days of washout due to the BJP accusing the Congress leadership of having links with billionaire investor George Soros, Lok Sabha returned to normal functioning by running Question Hour and passing a Bill before plunging again into chaos over remarks by a Trinamool Congress MP.

The stage was set for normal functioning after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi met Speaker Om Birla, urging him to expunge remarks made by BJP MPs against him and ensure that the House runs. Rahul told reporters that Birla has told him that he will examine it.

He said the BJP would continue to make all kinds of baseless allegations but his party has decided that they want the House to function. "Whatever provocation they do, we will allow them. But we will try and run the House. We would want that somehow the House functions…We want there should be a debate on the Constitution on December 13," he said.

In the afternoon session, there was peace, though the Zero Hour was disrupted following a comment against the BJP by Congress Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi.

Railways Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw replied to the debate on the Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which was subsequently passed.

The House then took up the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024 during which Trinamool's Kalyan Banerjee made some objectionable remarks against Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, which were expunged from the records. Incidentally, Banerjee earlier in the day, had held the Congress and the BJP responsible for the disruption in the House.

During the debate, Banerjee alleged that the Union government did not cooperate with states during the Covid-19 pandemic and Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai countered it, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi helped all states and successfully handled the crisis by taking everyone along.

As Rai alleged that the West Bengal government tried to put hurdles in the transportation of Covid-19 vaccines through its territory, Scindia supported the minister, which prompted an attack from Banerjee. The objectionable remarks led to a furore leading to an adjournment.

When the House re-assembled, Banerjee apologised for his remarks, but Scindia refused to accept it saying, "Kalyan Banerjee rose in this House and said sorry. But I will say that we all come to this House with the spirit of contribution to the nation's development...Any individual in their lives will not stand compromising with their self respect. Attack us on our policies, on our views, but if you will get personal, certainly be prepared for the response. He has apologised...I do not accept his apology for the personal attack that he had made on me and on the women of India."

The Trinamool MP apologised again but protests from Treasury benches continued and another adjournment followed. When the House reconvened at 5 pm, the noisy scenes continued and the Chair adjourned the House again.

Congress Whip Manickam Tagore said, "Lok Sabha was adjourned today due to disruptions by BJP members while a TMC member was speaking after offering his apology. Has the BJP been hindering the functioning of the House lately?"

Earlier in the morning session, the Question Hour went ahead without trouble as BJP MPs also refrained from raising the Soros issue. However, there was trouble during Zero Hour when Congress Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi raised the issue of violence in Manipur while attacking the ruling BJP of raising the Soros issue to hide their failures in the northeastern state.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal accused the Congress leadership of having links with Soros-linked organisations working to destabilise India and a war of words erupted between the opposition and treasury benches prompting BJP MP Sandhya Ray, who was chairing the House, to adjourn the proceedings till 2 pm.