New Delhi [India], December 20: The Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on Friday shortly after the session began, following a day of chaos in Parliament on Thursday. The Rajya Sabha was also adjourned until 12 noon.
Before the adjournment, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal moved a motion to refer two bills related to the ‘One Nation, One Election’ initiative to a Joint Committee of both Houses. The motion, which included the names of 27 Lok Sabha members, was approved despite the noisy atmosphere in the House. The committee will have 12 members from the Rajya Sabha, and its report is expected to be submitted by the first day of the last week of the next session.
Speaker Om Birla emphasized that maintaining the dignity of Parliament is a collective responsibility. He stated that protests should not take place at any of the “dwars” (gates) of Parliament and warned of appropriate action if this norm was violated.
Thursday’s proceedings were marked by intense protests both inside and outside Parliament. BJP MPs staged a protest against Congress for allegedly insulting Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, while members of the INDIA bloc, led by Rahul Gandhi, protested demanding the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his comments about Ambedkar. The protests led to a scuffle between the two sides, with BJP MPs Pratap Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput reportedly injured and rushed to the hospital.
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan accused Rahul Gandhi of inciting disruption during the protest, while also criticizing Congress leaders for their actions, which he claimed reflected a lack of respect and accountability.
Earlier in the day, Congress MP K Suresh submitted an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha, calling for an urgent discussion on Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Suresh described Shah’s statements as disrespectful to Ambedkar, the principal architect of India’s Constitution, and demanded an unconditional apology from the Minister.
Suresh’s notice pointed out that Shah’s remarks belittled Ambedkar’s contributions, calling them mere “political symbolism,” and undermined the values of justice, equality, and dignity for which Ambedkar fought. He further stressed that Ambedkar’s legacy belongs to the entire nation, not just any political party.
Shah’s comments, reportedly made in the Rajya Sabha during the 75th anniversary celebrations of the Indian Constitution, had sparked significant controversy. Shah had remarked that if the opposition had invoked the name of God as often as Ambedkar’s, they would have earned “heaven for seven lives.”