New Delhi: For the fourth day in a row, both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned multiple times as the opposition members protested vociferously seeking an immediate discussion on the issue of rising prices and imposition of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on articles of daily use. Apart from this, the Congress MPs today also protested against the questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of party leader Sonia Gandhi.
That the Congress would not let the issue of the ED summoning Gandhi pass became clear very early in the day, when Lok Sabha MP Manickam Tagore moved an adjournment motion to discuss “the misuse of ED and list of scams of BJP Government pending” with the agency. He urged that the House also advise the ED to “abandon the behaviour of calling the public representatives of Opposition parties” and “targeting the opposition leaders”.
Another party MP, Gaurav Gogoi, also moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha on the “misuse” of the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by the Union government.
Thereafter the floor leaders of various opposition parties met in the chamber of the leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, to decide the floor strategy for the day. The parties that attended this meeting included the Congress, Communist Party of India (Marxist), CPI, Indian Union Muslim League, National Conference, Telangana Rashtra Samiti, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Nationalist Congress Party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Rashtriya Janata Dal.
Opposition accuses Modi government of vendetta, harassment
Thereafter the Opposition leaders issued a joint statement in which they wrote: “The Modi Sarkar (government) has unleashed a relentless campaign of vendetta against its political opponents and critics through the mischievous misuse of investigative agencies. Prominent leaders of a number of political parties have been deliberately targeted and subjected to harassment in an unprecedented manner.
We condemn this and resolve to continue and intensify our collective fight against the anti-people, anti-farmer, anti-Constitution policies of the Modi Sarkar that is destroying the social fabric of our society.”
Though some opposition parties like the Trinamool Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party did not attend this meeting, AAP MP Sanjay Singh lent support to the campaign by giving a Zero Hour notice in the Rajya Sabha on the “misuse of central investigation agencies by the ruling government”. Some AAP leaders have also been booked by central agencies for alleged violations.
Sonia summons raised in Lok Sabha
When the Lok Sabha assembled, the opposition parties demanded that the issue of rising prices and the ED summons to Congress president Sonia Gandhi be taken up first. However, as speaker Om Birla persisted with the need for having the Question Hour first, the opposition kept raising slogans.
Some of the members also trooped into the Well of the House displaying placards with “Satyameva Jayate” and photographs of Sonia Gandhi on them.
A Congress member displays a placard in front of the chair of Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, in New Delhi, July 21, 2022. Photo: Screengrab/Sansad TV via PTI
Speaking for the government, parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi asked if everyone was equal before the law or not. “Is she some ‘super human’ because she is the Congress president?” he was heard saying, in reference to Gandhi.
As for the issue of price rise, the minister added that a discussion would be taken up “once the health of finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is fine”. Sitharaman has COVID-19.
In view of incessant slogan shouting and protests, the House was adjourned till 11:30 am by the speaker. When the house re-assembled, the Congress members were absent as they held a protest near the main door of Parliament House over Sonia’s summons and then proceeded on a march to their party headquarters. Meanwhile, members of other opposition parties such as the DMK, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, TMC and TRS also staged a walk-out as the speaker refused to allow a debate on the issue of price rise and GST taxes.
Thereafter, the Lok Sabha was first adjourned until 2:15 pm and then for the day.
Similar scenes in Rajya Sabha
In the Rajya Sabha too, the issue of price rise and GST dominated the proceedings. When the House assembled in the morning, the opposition members demanded a discussion on these issues. As the members entered the Well holding placards and raising slogans, the chair first adjourned the House for 10 minutes and then when the protests continued, the proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm. However, as the protests continued, the House was adjourned for the day.
Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh Singh conducts proceedings in the House as opposition members protest during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Thursday, July 21, 2022. Photo: Screengrab/SANSAD TV via PTI
Rahul says people’s voice being suppressed
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted that the Centre was suppressing the voice of the people by not allowing a discussion on key issues. “Discussion on GST – House adjourned. Discussion on inflation – House adjourned. Discussion on Agnipath – House adjourned. Discussion on misuse of agencies – House adjourned. Today, publicly, the voice of the people of the country is being suppressed. ‘Truth’ will prevail over this arrogance and dictatorship,” he wrote in Hindi on Twitter.