Rahul Gandhi claims he was gagged as Parliament session begins
What's the story
The first day of the Monsoon Session in Parliament was marred by chaos, adjournments, and walkouts. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that he was not allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha despite being the Leader of the Opposition. "Defense minister and others from the government are allowed to speak, but opposition leaders are not allowed," Gandhi told reporters after the house was adjourned. He also claimed that PM Narendra Modi "ran out of the House in a second."
Session disruption
Lok Sabha adjourned twice
The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned twice after the opposition demanded an immediate discussion on "Operation Sindoor." In the Lok Sabha, opposition leaders raised slogans and protested in the Well of the House. The speaker said a discussion would be held only after Question Hour, leading to further chaos. When proceedings resumed after an adjournment, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju urged opposition members to raise their demands at Monday's Business Advisory Committee meeting.
Discussion promise
What Rajnath Singh said
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh also assured opposition MPs that the government was ready for a detailed discussion on any issue approved by the Speaker. "The government is willing to discuss any topic the opposition wishes. Whatever time they need, the government is ready to answer all their questions," he said. However, the opposition continued sloganeering, prompting the Speaker to instruct them to "go outside the House for sloganeering" and adjourn the session.
Adjournment
Walkout in Rajya Sabha too
In the Rajya Sabha, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge raised concerns over "Operation Sindoor" and US President Donald Trump's claims of mediating between India and Pakistan. Kharge said, "US President Trump has claimed 24 times that the ceasefire happened solely because of his intervention. This is an insult to our country." BJP President JP Nadda reiterated the government's willingness to discuss these issues. Despite this, opposition members staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha as discussions continued.