Rajya Sabha adjourned as Kharge attacks government for suppressing CJP protest

Thousands gathered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Monday ahead of the CJP’s planned march to Parliament

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned within the first hour of the start of Parliament’s monsoon session on Monday as the leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge attacked the government for suppressing the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar demanding accountability for competitive examination paper leaks and the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Mallikarjun Kharge, the leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. (PTI)

“I am talking about the future of lakhs of students. For that, thousands of children have come to Jantar Mantar. There has been a baton charge. The government is trying to hurt them. It is trying to suppress them,” said Kharge amid sloganeering.

Rajya Sabha chairman CP Radhakrishnan initially adjourned the session until noon amid disruptions. The House was adjourned again at noon, to restart at 12:30 pm, as chaos erupted afresh.

Thousands gathered at Jantar Mantar on Monday ahead of the CJP’s planned march to Parliament to demand Pradhan’s resignation. Police resorted to a baton charge to disperse the crowd. The Delhi Police denied permission for the march and imposed prohibitory orders across much of New Delhi.

Opposition parties have pressed for debates on issues including the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, ethnic violence in Manipur, farmers’ concerns and the CJP protest, setting the stage for a stormy monsoon session. The government appealed for a disruption-free Parliament, warning that repeated disruptions could leave legislation to be passed with limited discussion.

Two other controversial proposals to establish a new higher education regulator and to automatically disqualify ministers arrested for 30 days have not been included in the current legislative agenda.