LS Budget session: Before the speech, the Congress noise

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The Speaker requested them to allow her to read out a congratulatory note for Saina Nehwal and Sania Mirza. Later, she suggested they could raise their issues when the bill is tabled and debated. The MPs kept chanting slogans, even when External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj read out a statement on India’s evacuation effort in Yemen. Sonia Gandhi was seen giving instructions to her MPs to get other parties’ MPs together. Rahul was on his feet.

This continued until the Speaker adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm. During the adjournment, Sonia was seen talking with Scindia, Mallikarjun Kharge, TMC’s Sudip Bandopadhyay and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Sudip Bandopadhyay stressed his party has always stood consistently against the bill. “In 2013 when the earlier bill (UPA) was put to vote, there was a 238-19 division on an amendment I moved. We forced the division when the Left had walked out,” he said.

“Even today we were the first to walk out after I stood up and made out party’s position clear. The Congress walked out after us,” he said. “Last time, the Congress and the BJP voted together. We are the only party in India that has maintained its stand.”