New Delhi: The Lok Sabha witnessed heavy disruptions on Monday during the debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s Address after Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi began referring to an unpublished memoir of former Army chief M.M. Naravane while speaking on the 2020 border standoff with China. BJP members strongly objected to the reference, leading to repeated interruptions.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla gave a clear ruling that no reference could be made to any book or article that has not yet been published. Despite the ruling, continued protests forced multiple adjournments, and the House was eventually adjourned for the day.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accused Rahul Gandhi of violating parliamentary rules and undermining the morale of the armed forces. Rijiju alleged that Gandhi considered himself above Parliament and its procedures and said he should apologise to the nation for his remarks on the China border issue.
Responding to the criticism, Rahul Gandhi questioned why the government was “afraid” of the former Army chief’s memoirs. He said national security was the most important issue and added that he was responding to questions raised by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya about the Congress party’s patriotism.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav came out in support of Rahul Gandhi, saying the China issue was extremely sensitive and the Leader of the Opposition should be allowed to speak on it in Parliament.
The incident brought legislative business to a standstill, with sharp exchanges between the treasury benches and the opposition dominating proceedings.
