The Rajya Sabha proceedings on July 27 were marked by sloganeering by members of both the Treasury benches and the Opposition.
The Opposition members came dressed in black as a mark of protest. They have been demanding a statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the situation in Manipur.
The Opposition raised objection when Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar omitted mentioning details of the notices moved by them under Rule 267. Ignoring the protests, he called External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to make a statement on the latest developments in India’s foreign policy.
His statement was drowned in the slogans raised by both sides. While members of the Treasury benches chanted “Modi, Modi”, the Opposition countered it with “Manipur, Manipur”.
Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge tried to attract Chairman Mr. Dhankhar’s attention, but was ignored. Mr. Dhankhar appealed to both sides to seek clarifications on Mr. Jaishankar’s statement, but to no avail.
By 11.40 a.m, the clash between the two sides had reached a crescendo, with the Treasury benches taunting the Opposition for wearing black clothes.
For several minutes, Mr. Kharge stood at his seat, hoping to get an opportunity to speak. But with the sloganeering by the Treasury benches not relenting, he let out a loud “India” cry and the rest of the Opposition MPs joined in the chorus. For a few minutes, the two sides engaged in intense sloganeering, forcing Mr. Dhankhar to adjourned the house for 15 minutes.
The din continued when the House reconvened. The Chairman’s repeated pleas were lost in the chaos. “I have never seen a ruling party obstructing the Opposition leader. Today, the government itself is obstructing the running of the house,” Mr. Kharge said.
In the afternoon too, the House witnessed similar scenes. At 2 p.m, when the House reconvened, Deputy Chairman Harivansh invited Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur to move the Cinematography (Amendment) Bill.
Mr. Kharge stood up to make a statement. When Mr. Harivansh allowed him to speak after Mr. Thakur’s introductory remarks about the Bill, amid the din, Mr. Kharge said he wanted to talk about the Bill and about dil (heart) and took up the issue of violence in Manipur. Mr. Harivansh disallowed him from speaking on any other issue than the Bill. The BJP members raised slogans when Mr. Kharge was speaking.
The Opposition members walked out of the Rajya Sabha, protesting against the decision to not allow Mr. Kharge to speak and denying an adjournment motion on Manipur.
The House later discussed the Cinematography (Amendment) Bill in the absence of Opposition members.
Senior Congress MP Jairam Ramesh later said the BJP MPs menacingly prevented Mr. Kharge from speaking and raising the issue of Manipur. “The parties comprising INDIA were left with no option but to walk out for the rest of the day. This is democracy Modi-style: silence all those who are not his drumbeaters,” he tweeted.
