New Delhi, July 21: The Lok Sabha was adjourned on Monday until 11 AM on July 22, following continued protests by opposition members demanding an opportunity to speak in the House.
The session, which began at 11 AM, faced repeated disruptions due to sloganeering from the Opposition, who sought discussions and the government's response on Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam terror attack. Initially adjourned until 4 PM, the House resumed in the afternoon but was forced to adjourn again due to the ongoing uproar.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expressed his disappointment over the disruptions and urged members to maintain decorum and allow parliamentary debate. “This is the Question Hour, and the government is willing to discuss every issue. The House must function and allow discussions as per the rules and procedures,” he said.
Despite the Speaker’s appeal, the chaos continued after the House reconvened at 4 PM, leading to its final adjournment for the day.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh assured that the government was “fully prepared” to discuss any issue raised by the Opposition. However, responding to the commotion caused by opposition MPs, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stated, “A meeting of the Business Advisory Committee will be held at 2:30 PM to finalise the agenda. The government is open to discussion, but this kind of protest—especially on the very first day of the Monsoon Session—is not appropriate.”
Following the adjournment, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi criticized the proceedings, saying, “The Defence Minister is allowed to speak in the House, but members of the Opposition, including me, the LoP, are denied the same. This is a new approach. Convention dictates that if members of the government can speak, the Opposition must be allowed to do so as well.”
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra echoed his sentiments, stating, “If the government is truly ready for a discussion, they must let the Leader of the Opposition speak. He stood up to speak and should have been given the chance.”
