Parliament House

Proceedings in the Lok Sabha were adjourned till 2 pm on Friday as opposition members continued protests over the LPG situation and price rise linked to the ongoing crisis in West Asia.

When the House reconvened at noon after an earlier adjournment on the same issue, opposition members entered the Well of the House and raised slogans against the government.

After the laying of papers, Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, criticised Rahul Gandhi and the Indian National Congress, accusing them of indulging in theatrics instead of constructive debate.

Rijiju said Gandhi was refusing to understand the “pulse of the people” and alleged that his actions were influencing the behaviour of opposition members in the House.

“Their leader is refusing to change. Now the members are also behaving like him. Their leader is indulging in drama in Parliament premises by holding plate and glass. They think that by doing such theatrics they will be able to draw the attention of the people, but people know them very well that is why they have not been able to come to power,” he said.

The minister also expressed disappointment with the Congress leadership, saying no one in the party was making its leader “see logic”.

“Still there is time to change otherwise people of the country will punish you severely,” he added.

As opposition members continued their protest and refused to return to their seats, the Chair adjourned the House till 2 pm.

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Meanwhile, Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Finance Minister, is expected to respond later in the day to a debate on the second batch of supplementary demands for grants.