Lok Sabha adjourned for the day amid government-opposition stand-off
What's the story
The Lok Sabha has been adjourned for the day after it was adjourned twice on Monday. The first adjournment was till noon and the second till 2:00pm. The House will now reconvene on Tuesday at 11:00am. The disruptions were caused by opposition members who insisted that senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi be allowed to speak first.
Speech controversy
Congress members insist on Gandhi speaking 1st
When the House resumed at noon, TDP member Krishna Prasad Tenneti took the Chair. He asked Shashi Tharoor to speak on the Budget, but Congress members insisted that Gandhi should speak first. Tenneti clarified that Tharoor was nominated by Congress to speak on the Budget and asked if Gandhi would also address it. The House was then adjourned till 2:00pm.
Cricket accolades
Am i allowed to speak? asks Gandhi
When it reconvened again at 2:00pm, Gandhi told BJP MP, Sandhya Ray, who was in the Chair, that "an hour ago, a Member of the House went to the Speaker; the Speaker committed to us that I will be allowed to speak here and raise some points before the budget discussion." "Now, you are going back on your word. So I'd like to know, am I allowed to speak those points or not?" he asked.
House
'What are we coming here for'
As Gandhi asked the question, the other side shouted "no no." She then insisted that the MPs stick to Budget Session topics. The House was eventually adjourned. Speaking outside the Parliament, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said they were going to the House just to come out. "The Leader of the Opposition is not allowed to speak even for one minute. It is ridiculous. This is not democracy. What are we coming here for? They should allow him to speak."