The Lok Sabha witnessed repeated disruptions on Tuesday as a fresh clash broke out between the government and the opposition over remarks made by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. The tension arose when Gandhi once again referred to a magazine article linked to the 2020 India-China Galwan Valley clash during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address.
Rahul Gandhi quoted an article published by The Caravan magazine, which mentioned a memoir by former Army Chief General M.M. Naravane titled Four Stars of Destiny. He said the article had been “authenticated” and tabled it in the House, arguing that national security and India’s relations with China and Pakistan were important issues raised in the President’s address.
As Gandhi began speaking, members of the ruling party interrupted him. Krishna Prasad Tenneti, who was presiding over the session, asked Gandhi to stick to the President’s address. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also intervened and urged Gandhi not to mislead the House.
Rijiju said the Speaker had already given a ruling on the matter a day earlier. He explained that since the issue had already been discussed and settled, Gandhi could not raise it again, even indirectly. Rijiju requested the opposition leader to avoid repeating the same topic under different references.
Despite this, Rahul Gandhi continued to speak on the same subject. This led the Chair to call the next speaker, Samajwadi Party MP Naresh Uttam Patel. However, MPs from the Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, and the DMK refused to speak in support of Gandhi.
The situation soon turned chaotic. Opposition members protested strongly against the Chair’s decision, tried to climb onto the table near the Speaker’s seat, and threw papers towards the Chair. As the disorder continued, the Lok Sabha was adjourned till 3 pm.
Earlier, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had ruled that Gandhi could not base his speech on an unpublished book. Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh also supported the ruling, saying references to unpublished material should not be allowed.
The repeated adjournments highlighted the deepening standoff between the government and the opposition in Parliament.
