As the monsoon session entered the second day, disruptions continued in both the houses of the Parliament with Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla chiding the opposition MPs. Despite a recently released advisory that prohibited distribution of any pamphlets, leaflets or placards inside the Parliament, opposition MPs registered their protest. This prompted Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to adjourn the House till 2pm.
Before adjourning the lower house, Birla said that according to rules, “it is not allowed to bring placards inside the House”.
Rajya Sabha proceedings were also adjourned till 2pm amid sloganeering and demands by opposition MPs for a discussion on price hike and inflation, among others.
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The opposition MPs brought placards that compared the prices of LPG cylinders, and the rate of Indian rupee against US dollar in the current NDA regime to that under former governments, headed by the Congress. The comparison was also drawn between unemployment percentages.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh took to Twitter to react to the adjourning, saying that the opposition got the Rajya Sabha adjourned over the matters of price rise and increase in GST, “on which the Modi Sarkar is unwilling to have a debate”.
{{/usCountry}}Congress MP Jairam Ramesh took to Twitter to react to the adjourning, saying that the opposition got the Rajya Sabha adjourned over the matters of price rise and increase in GST, “on which the Modi Sarkar is unwilling to have a debate”.
{{/usCountry}}“Today the Opposition got the Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2pm on the issue of intolerable price rise and increase in GST, especially on food items, on which the Modi Sarkar is unwilling to have a debate,” he wrote.
Notably, ahead of the monsoon session, several norms were laid down, one of which prohibited legislators from staging a dharna, strike, fast or demonstration in “the precinct of the Parliament House”. The rules drew heavy criticism from the opposition camp, with many leaders calling it "the end of democracy".
Earlier in the day, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined the opposition's protest against price hike and inflation in Parliament. They were snapped standing before the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, and shouting slogans, demanding reduction in the prices of essentials.
Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury were seen standing beside Gandhi. The opposition MPs held a placard with the message, “High inflation, continuous price rise badly affecting common citizens. How will they survive?”
Among many slogans they chanted, one was “Pradhan Mantri jawab do (Give us an answer, Prime Minister)".