Lok Sabha adjourned, Speaker warns of ‘appropriate action’ against MPs for protests inside Parliament premises

Once Meghwal moved the proposal, Birla warned members that protests inside Parliament premises would henceforth be met with “appropriate action”. He then asked members to take their seats, saying ‘Vande Mataram’ would be played and subsequently adjourned the House indefinitely.

“I request you all that maintenance of the dignity and decorum of this House is a collective responsibility of all of us. It is not good to stage a protest on any gate of the Parliament. You will have to ensure that rules are followed in these matters. I request again that take it seriously and under no circumstance hold a protest at the gates or in the premises. Otherwise, the Parliament will have to take appropriate action,” Birla said.

Outside Parliament, Congress MP from Wayanad Priyanka Gandhi Vadra suggested that the House had been adjourned quickly as the government was scared of debating the Adani issue. “This government is scared to have a discussion on Adani matter. It is scared of having any discussion. They know that their true sentiments for Ambedkar ji have come out. So, they are now scared of the Opposition because we are raising this issue. National interest is related to this matter. Our Constitution has been given by Ambedkar ji, people of this country and our freedom struggle. Such insult to him will not be tolerated by India,” Priyanka said.

Reacting to an FIR registered against Rahul Gandhi by Delhi Police with regard to BJP MPs being injured on Thursday, Priyanka said, “This is the government’s desperation. They are so desperate that they are lodging false FIRs. Rahul ji can never push anyone. I am his sister, I know him. He can never do such a thing. Frankly, the country knows this too. The country is watching how desperate they are that they are lodging baseless FIRs…These are all distractions.”

The Opposition and the BJP have been at loggerheads this week over Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha. While the Congress has alleged that Shah insulted Ambedkar during his speech on Tuesday while participating in the debate over the 75 years of the adoption of the Constitution, the BJP has hit back, saying the Congress had no respect for the father of the Constitution, allegedly making him lose elections and celebrating his ouster from former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s Cabinet.

Matters came to a head on Thursday when both the BJP and the Congress, holding separate protests in Parliament premises, came face to face at the Makar Dwar. As Congress MPs tried to make their way to enter Parliament from the Makar Dwar where BJP MPs were protesting, there was shoving and jostling, leading to injuries to BJP MPs. The saffron party has now alleged they were pushed down by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, a charge the Congress has denied.

The Delhi Police has registered an FIR against Gandhi over the incident. It is yet to take cognisance of a Congress complaint that party president Mallikarjun Kharge fell due to pushing by BJP MPs.