Parliament Monsoon Session LIVE Updates: Please follow this space for all the latest updates on the Monsoon session of the 18th Lok Sabha. Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are anticipated to witness a tumultuous session on Tuesday, with protests and verbal confrontations between the Treasury and Opposition benches over the Union Budget 2024-25, presented on July 23, as well as the UPSC aspirants’ deaths in a coaching centre in Delhi.
The Parliament proceedings will resume at 11 AM on July 30, with both Houses set to continue their deliberations on the General Budget 2024-25.
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has appealed to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to lift the restrictions imposed on the media within Parliament premises. “Sir, I would request you to allow the media, who have been restricted to a cage, to move out,” Gandhi said in the Lok Sabha. Media personnel have been confined to an enclosure, limiting their access to MPs. Birla reminded Gandhi about the procedural rules of Parliament, suggesting that such matters be discussed privately rather than on the House floor.
Gandhi, along with other opposition leaders such as Trinamool Congress’s Derek O’Brien, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, and Shiv Sena-UBT MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, met media personnel in the designated enclosure. “This is censorship. This is completely unacceptable. We are with you in this fight,” O’Brien stated.
Subsequently, the Lok Sabha Speaker met a group of journalists, assuring them that their grievances would be addressed and better facilities would be provided for them to perform their duties effectively.
On Monday, Rahul Gandhi drew parallels from the Mahabharata while criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party over the Union Budget, alleging that there is an atmosphere of fear in the country. He claimed that the nation is now trapped in a “Chakravyuh of lotus,” referring to the BJP’s symbol. During his speech in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that farmers, workers, and young people in the country are living in fear.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw criticised Gandhi’s remarks, stating, “It is sad that Rahul Gandhi’s behaviour as the Leader of the Opposition and the language he uses in Parliament, questioning the constitutional post of the Lok Sabha Speaker, is an action to undermine democracy and the Constitution. There is a history behind this when Rahul Gandhi publicly tore the ordinance brought by his government, so I do not see any intention of him to follow the limits of the Constitution.”
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also condemned Gandhi’s speech, labelling it as “irresponsible.”
