Budget Session Day 2: House logjam continues as Govt, Opp trade barbs over Rahul, Adani issues

In the Rajya Sabha, leader of the House Piyush Goyal raised the Rahul Gandhi issue even as the Congress gave a notice for raising a breach of privilege against him for attacking Rahul, who is not a member of the House.

The House functioned without much disturbance for an hour or so, but the calm did not last long as the Opposition soon demanded a discussion on the allegations against the Adani group even as Goyal raised the Rahul Gandhi matter without naming him. He insisted that the “senior MP” should apologise for his remarks on foreign soil “insulting” Indian Parliament.

Several members, including Congress’s Pramod Tiwari, Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Syed Nasir Hussain, K C Venugopal, Kumar Ketkar, Jebi Mather Hisham, Amee Yajnik and Neeraj Dangi; BRS’s K Keshava Rao and AAP’s Sanjay Singh, had given notices seeking a discussion on the Adani affair and the Government’s “failure” to set up a JPC. Amid shouting by both treasury and opposition benches, the House was adjourned till 2pm.

Similar scenes were witnessed when the House reassembled at 2pm. As the Opposition members demanded a discussion on the Adani affair, Goyal raised the Rahul Gandhi matter.

He said the leader who “insulted” the Indian Parliament, “denigrated the country and its image” on foreign soil will have to tender an apology to the country and the presiding officers. He said the leader had even raised questions on India’s democracy.

“I request you to give a direction from the Chair that he come to the House and apologise,” he said. As the BJP members raised slogans demanding an apology from Rahul, Congress MP Shaktisinh Gohil, who gave a notice for raising a beach of privilege against Goyal, quoted rules to argue that “no allegation of a defamatory or incriminatory nature shall be made by a member against any other member or a member of the House”.

In the Lok Sabha, soon after the proceedings of the House began at 11am, Speaker Om Birla called the name of BJD member Anubhav Mohanty, as the House took up Question Hour. However, Mohanty could not ask his supplementary question as the opposition and ruling party members began sloganeering. At this time, some of the members were seen standing in front of their seats. Birla asked them to let the House take up Question Hour. He said that members can raise their issues after the Question Hour.

“The House belongs to you… Whatever you have to say, speak from your chair… My intention is to run the House…,” Birla said, before adjourning the House to meet again at 2 pm. The House was adjourned for the day when it reassembled at 2pm as the ruckus continued.