New Delhi: Lok Sabha proceedings were disrupted for the third consecutive day Thursday as protests by Opposition members demanding a separate discussion on the three contentious farm laws created uproar. The ruckus created by the Opposition members led to repeated adjournments of the House. As soon as the House assembled at 4.00pm members of the Opposition started shouting slogans against the government and the three agri laws.
Few questions related to the ministry of roads and highways were replied by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
However, as sloganeering continued, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asked members to return to their seats. “Question Hour is the right of MPs…This behaviour is not good. I again request you all to return to your seats so that the House proceedings run properly,” Birla said. “Shouting slogans and showing placards are against parliamentary tradition,” he added.
But the Opposition members refused to relent. It forced Birla to adjourn the House till 5.00pm after about 20 minutes of proceedings.
When the House re-convened at 5.00pm, members of the Opposition again started raising slogans. Some ministers and members laid papers on the table of the House. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the Arbitration and Conciliation Amendment Bill, 2021.
Meenakshi Lekhi was in the Chair and asked the members to return to their seats. However, but they continued with their protests. Soon, she adjourned the House till 6.00pm after about 15 minutes of proceedings. When the House reassembled at 6.00pm, Opposition members continued their protests shouting slogans and showing placards.
Rajendra Agrawal, who was in the chair, appealed to the members to go back to their seats so that the House can function normally. “You have every right to raise any issue that you would like to. Please exercise this right. Please go to your seats, please don’t show the placards. You can raise your issues through the discussion on the motion thanking the President for his address,” he said.
However, the opposition ignored his pleas and continued the protests, forcing Agrawal to adjourn the House till 7.00pm after just 10 minutes of proceedings. When the House resumes again, it is expected that the protests will continue.