Monsoon Session of Parliament: LS, RS adjourned multiple times amid Oppn fury over Pegasus row, farm laws

Both Houses of the Parliament were disrupted by continuous adjournments due to ruckus from the Opposition over various issues such as the Pegasus snooping row and farm laws.

In the Rajya Sabha, MPs belonging to the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC) and other Opposition parties rushed into the well of the House raising slogans against the government. Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said members are being prevented from raising issues of public importance.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday drove a tractor to Parliament along with other party MPs and demanded that the three contentious farm laws be repealed.

Rahul, along with party MPs Pratap Singh Bajwa, Ravneet Singh Bittu and Deepinder Singh Hooda, also carried banners and raised slogans against the laws.

"These laws are aimed at helping only two-three industrialists. The entire country knows for who whom these laws have been brought. These laws are not for the benefit of farmers and that is why they have to be withdrawn," Rahul alleged.

Congress leaders Randeep Surjewala and Youth Congress chief BV Srinivas along with a number of party leaders were detained by the Delhi Police outside Parliament and taken to Mandir marg police station.

The detained Congress leaders raised slogans demanding the withdrawal of farm laws.

"We will not be cowed by such actions. This struggle will continue under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and we will not allow the Modi government to hand over the rights of 62 crore farmers to three-four industrialists," Surjewala told reporters after he was detained.

The tractor ride to Parliament was aimed at highlighting the cause of farmers and extend their support to them, party leaders said.

The BJP has, however, termed the move as "theatrics".

Here's what happened in the Lok Sabha today:  Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Monday after passage of two bills without discussions amid relentless protests by Opposition members who raised slogans and showed placards on the Pegasus snooping row and farmers' issues.

• As soon as the House met at 3 pm after repeated adjournments during the day, Lok Sabha took up the Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020, and the National Institutes of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management Bill, 2021, separately.
• Discussion on the two bills could not take place as Opposition members continued to stage protests demanding a discussion on the Pegasus snooping allegations and the farmers' demand of repealing the three new agri laws.
• Rama Devi, who was in the chair, repeatedly urged protesting members to return to their seats and participate in the discussions.
• However, with protesting MPs not relenting, she went ahead with the consideration and passage of the two bills.
• Earlier in the day, the House saw repeated adjournments and when it met at 2 pm and ran for a few minutes, papers were laid on the table, and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
• As soon as the House met in the morning, Speaker Om Birla paid tributes to personnel of the armed forces for their valour and sacrifice during the 1999 Kargil War.
• On the 22nd anniversary of 'Operation Vijay', mounted to flush out Pakistani troops from the heights of Kargil, Speaker Birla also expressed his gratitude to the family members of the heroes of the war. Members observed silence for those who made the supreme sacrifice.
• He also congratulated Mirabai Chanu for winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
• Soon thereafter, Opposition members trooped into the Well raising slogans, disrupting the proceedings.
• While the Pegasus snooping row remained the dominant issue with the Opposition members, they also raised slogans and displayed placards in support of agitating farmers.
• Some opposition members demanded the presence of the prime minister in the House and raised slogans such as "Modi sarkar jawab do" (Modi government please answer) on the Pegasus issue.
• "The government wants to give a reply. If you want a reply, please go back to your seats ... people choose you to raise their issues. You are raising slogans ... this hurts the dignity of the House," Speaker Birla said.

Here's what happened in the Rajya Sabha today: Proceedings in Rajya Sabha were repeatedly disrupted on Monday as Opposition members protested on alleged phone-tapping and other issues. The agitated members demanded that the Chair allow the Leader of Opposition to speak and created an uproar, forcing four adjournments. The Upper House was adjourned till 11 am tomorrow.

• The Upper House witnessed two adjournments in the pre-lunch period. Opposition members entered the Well soon after the House resumed proceedings at noon following the first adjournment and started raising slogans against the government.
• Sitharaman laid the papers pertaining to a notification on reduction of customs duties amid the din.
• Deputy Chairman Harivansh made repeated appeals to the protesting members to return to their seats and allow the Question Hour to be taken up.
• He, however, continued with the Question Hour amid the din.
• "This is the House of elders and you should behave accordingly. Please return to your seats and allow the question hour to function," the deputy chairman said.
• The House was again adjourned for an hour at 2 pm as Opposition members continued to raise slogans.
• As soon as the House resumed at 3 pm, the Opposition members continued their protests on the alleged phone-tapping and other issues and demanded that the Chair allow the Leader of the Opposition to speak.
• BJP member Sasmit Patra, in the Chair, asked BJP leader Jugalsinh Mathurji Lokhandwala to continue the debate on The Marine Aids to Navigation Bill, 2021.
• Opposition members did not heed Patra's request to maintain order in the House and return to their seats. They continued raising slogans against the government, forcing Patra to adjourn the house till 4 pm.
• Earlier, as soon as the House resumed after lunch at 2 pm, BJP member Surendra Singh Nagar, in the Chair, asked Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani to withdraw The Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Amendment Bill, which was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in 2012.
• Nagar asked BJP leader Jugalsinh Mathurji Lokhandwala to initiate a discussion on The Marine Aids to Navigation Bill, 2021. While Lokhandwala was speaking on the bill, Opposition members asked Nagar to allow the Leader of Opposition to speak.
• However, Nagar said the members should first return to their seats.
• He also said that he will allow the LoP to speak after the first speaker on the bill completes his submission.
• But the Opposition members refused to relent and started raising slogans against the government. Amid the din, Nagar adjourned the House till 3 pm.
• The House was also adjourned till noon amid Opposition uproar soon following the laying of papers and Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu paying tributes to martyrs on the 22nd Kargil Vijay Diwas.
• The Chairman also lauded weightlifter Mirabai Chanu for winning the silver medal in Tokyo Olympics.

July 26, 2021 at 05:41PM